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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Match each literary excerpt on the left with the correct literary device or figure of speech it illustrates on the right.

  • "Ten thousand eyes were glued to the pitch as the striker stepped up to take the critical penalty."Synecdoche
  • "After a long battle with illness, the venerable elder finally joined his ancestors."Euphemism
  • "The exhausted commuter lost his briefcase at the station and his patience shortly after."Zeugma
  • "Silent and dark was the night as the weary travelers entered the ancient city."Inversion (Anastrophe)

Answer

The literary excerpts correctly match their respective figures of speech as follows: 'Ten thousand eyes...' matches Synecdoche; '...joined his ancestors' matches Euphemism; '...lost his briefcase... and his patience' matches Zeugma; and 'Silent and dark was the night...' matches Inversion (Anastrophe).
Each excerpt exhibits distinct linguistic markers: 'ten thousand eyes' uses a part for the whole (Synecdoche); 'joined his ancestors' softens the reference to dying (Euphemism); 'lost his briefcase... and his patience' applies one verb to two different domains (Zeugma); and 'Silent and dark was the night' reverses standard syntax (Inversion).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the first excerpt for structural or figurative substitution.
Identified 'eyes' standing in for whole people (spectators watching the match).
Synecdoche is a figure of speech where a part represents the whole entity.
2
Examine the second excerpt for indirect phrasing regarding unpleasant realities.
Identified 'joined his ancestors' as a soft, polite alternative for dying.
Euphemism replaces harsh or sensitive concepts with milder language.
3
Evaluate the third excerpt for verbs governing dual domains.
Identified 'lost' applying simultaneously to a physical object (briefcase) and a mental state (patience).
Zeugma joins two distinct ideas using a single verb in different semantic meanings.
4
Inspect the fourth excerpt for altered grammatical sentence construction.
Identified descriptive adjectives placed at the beginning before the verb and subject.
Inversion (Anastrophe) intentionally alters standard word order for poetic effect.

Key Concept

Identification of literary devices and figures of speech in contextual excerpts
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Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

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