Match each of the following literary excerpts from African poetry and prose with the primary figure of speech employed in its line.
- "The sun was a stubborn creditor, demanding its tribute of sweat from every brow."Metaphor
- "Whispers of treason danced across the market square, pulling men into dark corners."Personification
- "He returned from the grueling war to enjoy a bitter sweetness in his quiet home."Oxymoron
- "Fifty sails entered the harbor, carrying spices from the distant eastern colonies."Synecdoche
Answer
The correct pairings match each excerpt with its appropriate figure of speech: 'The sun was a stubborn creditor...' with Metaphor; 'Whispers of treason danced...' with Personification; 'He returned from the grueling war to enjoy a bitter sweetness...' with Oxymoron; and 'Fifty sails entered the harbor...' with Synecdoche.
Each literary excerpt exemplifies a distinct figure of speech. 'The sun was a stubborn creditor' directly compares the harsh sun to a debt collector without comparative words, defining a metaphor. 'Whispers of treason danced...' gives human capabilities (dancing, pulling people) to abstract sounds, creating personification. 'Bitter sweetness' combines two contradictory sensory terms back-to-back, forming an oxymoron. 'Fifty sails' uses a constituent part of a ship (sails) to stand for the complete vessels, which is synecdoche.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Identification of Literary Devices in Textual Excerpts