Question

Use the paragraph to answer the question.

Kade and Lula took slow, careful steps. All around them, the moonlight kissed the red ivy. The ivy stretched out, strangling the garden bench, the fountain, and the gate—taunting them with its omnipresence. How could they possibly get around without touching it? A few droplets of chilly rain splattered down. Each icy drop seemed to say, “Hurry, hurry. You don’t have long.”

In 3–5 sentences, explain how the author used figurative language to create a specific effect. Make sure to explain what kind of figurative language the author used and the effect it had. Provide samples from the text to support your answer.

Answer 1

The author uses personification and vivid imagery to make the setting feel alive and threatening — for example, “the moonlight kissed the red ivy” and the ivy is described as “strangling the garden bench, the fountain, and the gate—taunting them with its omnipresence.” This language makes the ivy seem animate and menacing, heightening the sense of danger and confinement. Likewise, the raindrops are personified — “Each icy drop seemed to say, ‘Hurry, hurry. You don’t have long.’” — which creates a pressing urgency and increases the characters’ tension.