The line 'The river moves silently through the darkened fields' is an example of which device?

• A. Metaphor
• B. Alliteration
• C. Personification
• D. Enjambment

Answer: (D)

Enjambment is at work here: the sentence flows from this line into the next without a natural pause, so the idea of movement continues beyond the line break just as a river keeps moving across the fields. This technique creates a smooth momentum that mirrors the river’s ongoing motion, pulling you forward to complete the thought in the next line rather than stopping at the end of this one.

This line isn’t primarily about a direct metaphor comparing the river to something else, so it isn’t centered on a metaphor. It doesn’t rely on repeating initial consonant sounds to create a pattern, so it isn’t primarily about alliteration. And while you might imagine the river taking on human qualities, the defining feature here is the line break’s continuation—how the sentence spills over to the next line—which is what enjamment captures.