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Difficulty: EasyLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Analyze the line of poetry below and supply the appropriate term to complete the statement.

Answer:In the line 'O Wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being', the speaker directly addresses an inanimate natural force as if it were a person capable of listening; this figure of speech is called 【apostrophe】.

Answer

The correct literary device to complete the statement is apostrophe.
Apostrophe is a literary device wherein a speaker speaks directly to an inanimate object, an abstract quality, or an absent person (often prefaced with 'O' or 'Oh'). In the excerpt, the poet directly calls upon the 'Wild West Wind'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the poetic excerpt 'O Wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being'.
The speaker addresses the 'Wild West Wind' directly using the exclamation 'O'.
Directly calling out to an absent person, abstract idea, or non-human entity indicates a specific figure of speech.
2
Identify the figure of speech corresponding to directly addressing an inanimate force or absent entity.
Apostrophe.
An apostrophe is a rhetorical device in which a speaker directly addresses someone or something that cannot respond.

Key Concept

Apostrophe in Literary Context
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Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

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