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Difficulty: MediumAnalysis of Prescribed African Poems

Read the excerpt below from Lade Wosornu's prescribed African poem *Raider of the Treasure Trove*:

"Rage is thief of gain, it steals the breath
Of peaceful minds"

Which figure of speech is predominantly employed in the line "Rage is thief of gain"?

  1. MetaphorAnswer
  2. B
    Simile
  3. C
    Oxymoron
  4. D
    Assonance

Answer

The predominant figure of speech employed is Metaphor because the line directly identifies rage as a thief that robs one of gain without using comparative terms such as 'like' or 'as'.
The line directly equates the destructive emotion of rage to a thief without using explicit comparative markers like 'like' or 'as'. This direct assertion of identity between two unlike things constitutes a metaphor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the line 'Rage is thief of gain' from the poem extract.
Identified a direct figurative comparison where the abstract emotion 'Rage' is equated to a concrete entity, a 'thief'.
Determining whether the comparison is direct or indirect establishes the figure of speech.
2
Check for comparative markers such as 'like' or 'as'.
No comparative connectives are used.
The absence of 'like' or 'as' distinguishes a metaphor from a simile.
3
Select the literary device matching an implicit, direct comparison.
The device is confirmed as a metaphor.
A metaphor asserts that one thing is another to highlight shared characteristics.

Key Concept

Identification of Poetic Figures of Speech in Prescribed African Poetry
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Topics

Analysis of Prescribed African Poems

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