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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the following excerpt from a prescribed narrative text:

"In the tense courtroom atmosphere, the defense counsel turned to the jury and declared, 'My client spent a restless night in that cold cell, contemplating a future stripped of dignity.'"

Which figure of speech is demonstrated in the phrase "restless night"?

  1. Transferred epithetAnswer
  2. B
    Oxymoron
  3. C
    Metaphor
  4. D
    Personification

Answer

Transferred epithet is the figure of speech used in the phrase 'restless night'.
Transferred epithet is used because the attribute of being 'restless' applies logically to the human client who could not sleep, but grammatically modifies the associated noun 'night'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the modifier 'restless' and the noun 'night' in context.
The adjective 'restless' describes a state of anxiety or sleeplessness experienced by a human being.
A period of time such as a night cannot literally feel or experience restlessness.
2
Determine the relationship between the modifier and the subject.
The quality of being restless belongs to the prisoner, but the adjective is transferred to describe the time during which the sleeplessness occurred.
This modification pattern defines a transferred epithet.

Key Concept

Transferred Epithet in Literary Context
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Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

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