Read the following excerpt from an unseen poem carefully:
"The wind whispered secrets to the silent room,
Her eyes shone like stars in the evening sky,
Her tear was an ocean of endless grief,
A deafening silence fell upon the crowd."
Which figure of speech corresponds to each excerpted line? Match each excerpted line on the left with its correct figure of speech on the right.
- "The wind whispered secrets to the silent room"Personification
- "Her eyes shone like stars in the evening sky"Simile
- "Her tear was an ocean of endless grief"Hyperbole
- "A deafening silence fell upon the crowd"Oxymoron
Answer
The line 'The wind whispered secrets to the silent room' matches Personification; 'Her eyes shone like stars in the evening sky' matches Simile; 'Her tear was an ocean of endless grief' matches Hyperbole; and 'A deafening silence fell upon the crowd' matches Oxymoron.
Each poetic excerpt demonstrates a specific figure of speech: attributing human actions (whispering) to nature is personification; comparing with 'like' forms a simile; exaggerating a tear into an ocean forms hyperbole; and placing opposing terms ('deafening' and 'silence') together forms an oxymoron.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Analysis of Figures of Speech and Literary Devices in Unseen Poetry