Read the passage excerpt below:
"As the old cocoa plantation fell into disuse, the relentless rainforest gradually reclaimed the clearing, its sprawling vines choking the abandoned machinery until silence devoured the once-boisterous estate."
In the excerpt above, what figure of speech is employed in the phrase "silence devoured the once-boisterous estate", and what is its contextual meaning?
- It is a personification emphasizing how total quietness completely overwhelmed the formerly noisy plantation.Answer
- BIt is a hyperbole suggesting that wild beasts invaded the plantation and consumed the remaining estate structures.
- CIt is an oxymoron highlighting the conflicting emotions felt by workers who were forced to abandon the estate.
- DIt is a metaphor comparing the plantation workers to silent forest animals hiding from danger.
Answer
The expression uses personification to show how complete quietness overwhelmed the previously lively and noisy plantation.
The correct answer accurately identifies personification because the abstract noun 'silence' is given the living attribute of 'devouring'. Contextually, this emphasizes how absolute quietness replaced the former activity and noise of the plantation once human presence ended.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying personification and its contextual meaning in a passage