Which literary device is used in the phrase 'like a sleeping serpent'?

Which literary device is used in the phrase 'like a sleeping serpent'?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Simile
• C. Hyperbole
• D. Personification

Answer: (B)

A comparison using like or as signals a simile. In the phrase “like a sleeping serpent,” the thing being described is compared to a serpent with the word like, which shows a resemblance rather than asserting they are the same thing. That direct use of like is what defines a simile. A metaphor would state the thing is a sleeping serpent without using like or as; hyperbole would involve an obvious exaggeration; personification would give human traits to something non-human. So the phrase fits the simile pattern perfectly.

A comparison using like or as signals a simile. In the phrase “like a sleeping serpent,” the thing being described is compared to a serpent with the word like, which shows a resemblance rather than asserting they are the same thing. That direct use of like is what defines a simile. A metaphor would state the thing is a sleeping serpent without using like or as; hyperbole would involve an obvious exaggeration; personification would give human traits to something non-human. So the phrase fits the simile pattern perfectly.