A writer describes a dilapidated house: 'The porch sagged like a tired old man, its paint peeling in mournful strips, while the broken windows stared out like empty eyes at the encroaching wilderness.' Which literary device is primarily used in this description?

The correct answer to the question "A writer describes a dilapidated house: 'The porch sagged like a tired old man, its paint peeling in mournful strips, while the broken windows stared out like empty eyes at the encroaching wilderness.' Which literary device is primarily used in this description?" is Option C: Personification.

The other options — A) Alliteration, B) Hyperbole, D) Irony — are incorrect for this GED Exam Prep question. As explained above: Personification is used by giving human qualities to inanimate objects: the porch 'sagged like a tired old man,' paint peeling in 'mournful strips,' and windows 'stared out like empty eyes.'