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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the literary excerpt below carefully and complete the analytical statement by filling in the blanks with the precise literary devices demonstrated.

Answer:In the line, 'The old, weary sea groaned under the weight of the tempest,' attributing the human expression of grief to the ocean is an example of 【personification】, while the phrase 'cruel kindness' used in the same context to describe the storm's aftermath represents an 【oxymoron】.

Answer

The first blank is personification (or pathetic fallacy) and the second blank is oxymoron.
Describing the sea as 'weary' and 'groaning' endows a natural non-human body with human attributes, which is personification. Juxtaposing two mutually contradictory words such as 'cruel' and 'kindness' forms an oxymoron.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the expression 'weary sea groaned' to identify the figurative device used for non-human entities.
Attributing human emotions and physical vocalizations like 'weary' and 'groaned' to the sea constitutes personification (or more specifically, pathetic fallacy).
Personification endows inanimate natural elements with human feelings, characteristics, or actions.
2
Examine the phrase 'cruel kindness' to determine how juxtaposed contrasting words function together.
Placing two contradictory adjectives side by side ('cruel' and 'kindness') creates an oxymoron.
An oxymoron pairs opposing or contradictory terms directly adjacent to one another for rhetorical effect.

Key Concept

Literary Devices and Figurative Language in Context
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

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