Read the excerpt: 'The old locomotive groaned and shuddered, reluctant to surrender its iron grip upon the steel rails.' Which literary device is predominantly featured in this description?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Personification
- Step 1: The locomotive is described as 'groaning', 'shuddering', and being 'reluctant to surrender'. Step 2. Attributing human emotions and physical sensations to an inanimate machine is personification. Answer: Personification. Why not the others: Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration; oxymoron juxtaposes contradictory terms; alliteration repeats initial consonant sounds.
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