Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP Prep Practice Exam

What literary element does "metaphor" fall under?

1. Genre

2. Style

3. Form

4. Symbolism

The correct answer is: Symbolism

A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using "like" or "as". This is a form of symbolism as it uses one thing to represent another. Genres, such as fiction or poetry, are categories of literature and are not considered literary elements. Style refers to the way a writer uses language, but does not fall under any specific element. Form refers to the structure or framework of a literary work, but is not a specific element either. Therefore, D Symbolism is the best fit for a metaphor.