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Difficulty: MediumAnalysis of Figures of Speech and Literary Devices in Unseen Poetry

Consider the extract from an unseen poem below:

"The iron heels of war marched through the town,
And fifty thousand blades obeyed the crown;
No gentle hand was spared the heavy toll,
When iron hunger seized the nation's soul."

In line 2, the term "blades" is used to represent armed soldiers. Which figure of speech is exemplified by this usage?

  1. SynecdocheAnswer
  2. B
    Metaphor
  3. C
    Hyperbole
  4. D
    Oxymoron

Answer

The dominant figure of speech in line 2 is synecdoche.
Synecdoche is a literary device where a part of an object or person is used to refer to the whole (or vice versa). In this line, 'blades' (the weapon) represents the soldiers carrying them.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the line and identify the specific word highlighted in the question context.
The word 'blades' refers directly to the weapons carried by soldiers, used here to denote the soldiers themselves.
Understanding what 'blades' represents in context is essential for determining the figurative relationship.
2
Determine the relationship between 'blades' (a part/weapon) and the warriors/soldiers (the whole entity).
A single constituent part or tool of a soldier is used to signify the entire person/combatant.
Figures of speech that substitute a part for the whole are classified specifically under synecdoche.

Key Concept

Synecdoche in Unseen Poetry
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Topics

Analysis of Figures of Speech and Literary Devices in Unseen Poetry

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