Question

Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the excerpt below from a prescribed drama passage and complete the statement by providing the exact technical term for the figure of speech used.

Answer:In the conversation regarding the minister's disastrous public address, the secretary remarks, 'His speech was not entirely devoid of wisdom.' This deliberate understatement, created by negating the opposite quality, exemplifies the literary device known as 【litotes】.

Answer

litotes
The literary device 'litotes' refers to a figure of speech in which an affirmative statement is emphasized by denying its opposite, as demonstrated in the phrase 'not entirely devoid of wisdom'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phrase 'not entirely devoid of wisdom' within the excerpt.
The phrase uses double negation ('not' and 'devoid of') to convey a mild or understated assertion about a severe situation.
Expressing an affirmative idea through the negation of its contrary is the defining characteristic of litotes.

Key Concept

Litotes (Understatement via Negation)
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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