Figures of comparison
A simile compares two unlike things using "like" or "as": "her smile was like sunshine." A metaphor makes the same kind of comparison but states it directly, without "like" or "as": "her smile was sunshine." Personification gives human qualities to something non-human: "the old house groaned in the storm."
Example 1: Identify the figure of speech in "Grief is a heavy stone I carry everywhere," and explain your answer.
This is a metaphor -- grief is directly described as being a stone, with no "like" or "as" used, making a direct comparison rather than a similarity-based one.
Sound devices
Alliteration repeats the same starting consonant sound in nearby words: "the wild wind whistled." Assonance repeats vowel sounds within nearby words: "the rain in Spain." Onomatopoeia uses words that imitate the sound they describe: "buzz," "crash," "sizzle."
Example 2: Identify the sound device in "the busy bees buzzed by the blooming bush," and explain your answer.
This is alliteration -- the repeated "b" sound at the start of several nearby words ("busy," "bees," "buzzed," "by," "blooming," "bush") creates the rhythmic, repeated-consonant effect.
Other common devices
Irony creates a gap between expectation and reality -- a firefighter's house burning down is situational irony; a character confidently walking into danger they don't see (but the audience does) is dramatic irony. Symbolism uses a concrete object or image to represent an abstract idea, like a dove symbolizing peace, or a wilting flower symbolizing lost innocence. Hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration for effect: "I've told you a million times."
Example 3: A story describes a caged bird singing beautifully despite never having known freedom. What might the caged bird symbolize?
The caged bird could symbolize resilience or hope despite oppression/confinement -- the ability to find and express beauty or joy even within restricted circumstances is a common symbolic reading of this image across literature.