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Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follows:

"When the news of his betrayal reached her, her heart became a block of ice, unyielding and cold."

Which literary device is primarily used in the phrase "her heart became a block of ice", and what is its contextual meaning?

  1. Metaphor, conveying her complete emotional numbness and loss of affection.Answer
  2. B
    Simile, highlighting a gradual drop in her physical body temperature.
  3. C
    Irony, indicating that she felt genuine relief and hidden happiness.
  4. D
    Personification, attributing human malice and intent to physical ice.

Answer

Metaphor, conveying her complete emotional numbness and loss of affection.
The expression directly compares a person's heart to a block of ice without using 'like' or 'as', successfully conveying the severe emotional detachment and loss of warmth experienced after betrayal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the structural construction of the figurative expression.
The phrase "her heart became a block of ice" equates 'heart' directly to 'a block of ice' without using comparative words such as 'like' or 'as'.
A direct comparison equating two distinct concepts without explicit comparative connectors constitutes a metaphor.
2
Determine the contextual meaning and emotional effect of the expression.
Ice represents extreme coldness, hardness, and rigidity.
In the context of experiencing betrayal, a cold and unyielding heart symbolically represents the psychological shock and sudden loss of warm feelings toward the betrayer.

Key Concept

Metaphor Identification and Contextual Interpretation
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Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

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