Question

im nobody! who are you?
emily dickinson

im nobody! who are you?
are you - nobody - too?
then theres a pair of us!
dont tell! theyd advertise - you know!

how dreary - to be - somebody!
how public - like a frog -
to tell ones name - the livelong june -
to an admiring bog!

which literary device is shown in the highlighted line from dickinsons poem?

simile - likening fame to a frogs loud presence
alliteration - emphasizing sound repetition
personification - giving the frog human traits

Explanation:

Identify the highlighted line in the poem

The poem shown is Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody! Who are you?". In the second stanza, the highlighted line is:
"How public - like a Frog -"
This line is analyzed to determine which literary device is being used.

Analyze the literary device in the highlighted line

The line "How public - like a Frog -" uses the word "like" to make a direct comparison between being "public" (famous or well-known) and a "Frog" (which makes a loud, repetitive noise in a bog).
This direct comparison using "like" or "as" is the definition of a simile.

Evaluate the given multiple-choice options

• Option 1: "simile - likening fame to a frog's loud presence"

This option correctly identifies the device as a simile and accurately explains that it compares the public nature of "Somebody" (fame) to a frog's loud, public croaking.

• Option 2: "alliteration - emphasizing sound repetition"

While there is some minor sound repetition in the poem, alliteration is not the primary literary device demonstrated by the highlighted line "How public - like a Frog -".

• Option 3: "personification - giving the frog human traits"

The line does not attribute human characteristics to the frog; rather, it compares a public person to a frog.

Connect to poetic themes

Using our understanding of Emily Dickinson Poetry and Poetic Interpretation, we can see how Dickinson uses this simile to criticize the dreary, attention-seeking nature of public life, comparing famous people to frogs croaking their own names to an admiring bog.

Answer:

• simile - likening fame to a frog's loud presence (Correct answer)
• alliteration - emphasizing sound repetition
• personification - giving the frog human traits