The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is b.) onomatopoeia.
This excerpt from Jacqueline Woodson’s “Brown Girl Dreaming” most effectively uses onomatopoeia to create a vivid sensory experience for the reader. Onomatopoeia is a type of figurative language where a word’s pronunciation imitates its sound. The standout example in this line is the word “squish.” When you read or say “squish,” the word itself mimics the wet, compressing sound one would hear when stepping on damp pine needles. This single word instantly transports the reader into a specific auditory and tactile moment, making the description feel authentic and immersive. By using onomatopoeia, Woodson does not simply tell us about a sound; she allows us to hear it in our minds.
The line’s power comes from what is absent. The narrator states, “No soft squish of pine,” using this potent sound word to emphasize a loss or a longing for a different environment. The onomatopoeia makes the missing experience more tangible and its absence more deeply felt.
While other literary devices are present, they are not used as effectively. For instance, there is alliteration with the repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “slip and slide.” This creates a smooth rhythm that complements the feeling of movement. However, the onomatopoeia in “squish” is arguably the most powerful and memorable device in the line because of its direct appeal to the sense of hearing. The excerpt contains no hyperbole, which is an extreme exaggeration, nor does it use a simile, which is a comparison using “like” or “as.” Therefore, the most impactful and effective figurative language employed in this line is onomatopoeia.
