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Difficulty: Very hardFigurative Language and Tropes

Match each poetic excerpt with the trope or figure of speech it predominantly demonstrates.

  • "The pen is mightier than the sword."Metonymy
  • "He commanded a fleet of twenty sails across the Atlantic."Synecdoche
  • "I must be cruel only to be kind."Paradox
  • "He was overcome by a terrifying joy upon hearing the victory."Oxymoron

Answer

The correct pairings are: 'The pen is mightier than the sword' matches Metonymy; 'He commanded a fleet of twenty sails across the Atlantic' matches Synecdoche; 'I must be cruel only to be kind' matches Paradox; and 'He was overcome by a terrifying joy upon hearing the victory' matches Oxymoron.
Each excerpt correctly corresponds to its respective trope: substituting an associated attribute is metonymy; using a part to represent a whole is synecdoche; a self-contradictory statement revealing truth is paradox; and pairing mutually exclusive words is oxymoron.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze 'The pen is mightier than the sword'
Identify that 'pen' and 'sword' are closely associated objects representing journalism/writing and military might.
Substitution of a closely linked concept or object for the thing itself defines metonymy.
2
Analyze 'He commanded a fleet of twenty sails across the Atlantic'
Identify that 'sails' is a literal part of the vessel used to signify the entire ship.
Using a part of something to represent the whole (or vice versa) defines synecdoche.
3
Analyze 'I must be cruel only to be kind'
Identify that the overall statement seems contradictory but expresses a meaningful philosophical truth.
A full sentence or proposition that appears self-contradictory yet expresses a deeper validity defines paradox.
4
Analyze 'He was overcome by a terrifying joy upon hearing the victory'
Identify two opposing adjectival/noun terms ('terrifying' and 'joy') placed directly together.
The contiguous placement of contradictory words defines oxymoron.

Key Concept

Distinguishing closely related figures of speech: Metonymy vs. Synecdoche, and Paradox vs. Oxymoron.
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Topics

Figurative Language and Tropes

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