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Difficulty: MediumFigurative Language and Tropes

Read the literary extract below:

"His voice was a soothing flame, melting the icy fear in the hearts of the listeners."

Which figure of speech is primarily employed in the expression "His voice was a soothing flame"?

  1. MetaphorAnswer
  2. B
    Simile
  3. C
    Oxymoron
  4. D
    Personification

Answer

Metaphor
The expression directly equates the speaker's voice to a soothing flame without using comparative words such as 'like' or 'as'. Stating that one concept literally is another for figurative effect is the defining feature of a metaphor.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the target phrase in the extract
The phrase "His voice was a soothing flame" compares the sound/quality of a human voice to a warming flame.
Identifying the subject and the figurative image used to describe it is the first step in trope recognition.
2
Examine the structural relationship between the elements
The comparison is direct and implicit ("voice WAS a flame") rather than using connecting comparative words such as "like" or "as".
Distinguishing between explicit markers ('like'/'as') and direct assertion separates similes from metaphors.
3
Select the matching literary device
The direct identification of one entity with another distinct entity constitutes a metaphor.
By definition, asserting that one thing is another to highlight shared characteristics is a metaphor.

Key Concept

Metaphor vs. Simile and Tropes
Estimated Time:50s
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Topics

Figurative Language and Tropes

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