Read the passage excerpt below:
"During the university debate, the young orator's words were sharp arrows that pierced the audience's apathy. However, the chairman remained as cold as ice, maintaining a silence that was truly deafening throughout the impassioned speech."
Match each figurative expression from the passage excerpt on the left with its contextual meaning and literary device on the right.
- "words were sharp arrows"A metaphor indicating that the speech was incisive, highly impactful, and penetrated the audience's indifference.
- "as cold as ice"A simile emphasizing total emotional detachment, unresponsiveness, and lack of enthusiasm.
- "silence that was truly deafening"An oxymoron highlighting a very intense, noticeable, and heavy quietness in the hall.
Answer
"words were sharp arrows" matches the metaphor describing incisive impact; "as cold as ice" matches the simile emphasizing emotional detachment; "silence that was truly deafening" matches the oxymoron highlighting intense quietness.
Each expression is paired with its accurate literary classification and contextual meaning: "words were sharp arrows" is a metaphor for incisive speech, "as cold as ice" is a simile for emotional detachment, and "silence that was deafening" is an oxymoron for noticeable quiet.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identifying figurative language devices and their contextual interpretations in a passage.