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Difficulty: HardPoetic Imagery and Figurative Language

Read the excerpt below from Alexander Pope's poem *An Essay on Criticism*:

"To err is human; to forgive, divine."

Which poetic device is primarily used in the structural contrast of these lines?

  1. AntithesisAnswer
  2. B
    Paradox
  3. C
    Oxymoron
  4. D
    Simile

Answer

Antithesis
Antithesis is a figure of speech in which sharply contrasting ideas are placed in direct opposition within parallel grammatical structures. In the given quotation, 'To err is human' is set in clean, symmetrical opposition to 'to forgive, divine'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the grammatical structure of the excerpt.
The excerpt consists of two parallel clauses: 'To err is human' and 'to forgive, divine'.
Identifying the structural alignment of the poetic lines is necessary to evaluate the figure of speech.
2
Analyze the semantic relationship between the aligned elements.
'To err' directly opposes 'to forgive', and 'human' directly opposes 'divine'.
Determining whether the contrast is structural, lexical, or logically contradictory helps differentiate devices.
3
Match the observed features to the correct literary device definition.
The balanced juxtaposition of opposing ideas defines antithesis.
Antithesis combines parallel syntax with contrasting meanings without introducing a logical impossibility.

Key Concept

Antithesis and Structural Contrast in Poetry
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Poetic Imagery and Figurative Language

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