Literary Devices

The roaring rhythm of the rain on the rocks reached me.

Figurative language is a comparison between two things that is not meant to be taken literally.

"My parents were against me, my teachers were against me, even my cat, who should have been on my side, was against me."

"Her house smelled of unwashed laundry, stale coffee, and windows with latches that had rusted from disuse."

"Once he had thought of it, the idea dug its fingernails into him, and he couldn't shake it."

Which of these is NOT an example of figurative language?

"Her shrill voice was like a toddler's whine as she goaded me to try one of her cookies."

In the following sentence, which word or phrase is an example of unusual diction?

"The sky was black velvet above us, strewn with crystalline stars."