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Difficulty: MediumPoetic Imagery and Figurative Language

Read the poetic extract below:

"The child is father of the man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety."

Which literary device is dominant in the first line of the extract above?

  1. ParadoxAnswer
  2. B
    Oxymoron
  3. C
    Metaphor
  4. D
    Alliteration

Answer

Paradox
The phrase 'The child is father of the man' expresses an idea that seems logically impossible on the surface yet holds a profound psychological truth—that adult character is formed in childhood. This self-contradictory statement revealing a deeper meaning is the precise definition of a paradox.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the literal meaning of the line
Literally, a child cannot biologically be the father of an adult man, which creates an apparent logical impossibility.
Identifying apparent self-contradiction is the first step in analyzing figurative language structures.
2
Determine the underlying thematic meaning
The line conveys the psychological truth that childhood experiences and character shape the adult person.
A statement that seems impossible at face value but holds a profound truth is a paradox.
3
Distinguish from closely related devices
The expression is a complete clause rather than juxtaposed antonymous words, ruling out oxymoron.
Oxymoron requires adjacent contrasting words (e.g., 'bittersweet'), while paradox operates on a full statement level.

Key Concept

Paradox in Poetry
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Topics

Poetic Imagery and Figurative Language

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