Question

Which type of figurative language is the author using in this excerpt from Romeo and Juliet?

A) metaphor
B) simile
C) oxymoron
D) personification

Answer 1

The type of figurative language used in "Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health" is

C) oxymoron

Step-by-step explanation:

Oxymorons make use of two seemingly contrasting words to express something more emphatically. The apparent contradiction rests in that fact that, if analyzed individually, the words would indeed present opposing meanings. However, the contradiction makes sense according to the context and its purpose is to emphasize an idea or to express the confusion or ambiguity of the moment.

In the excerpt, the oxymorons are:

- the lightness of a feather associated to the heaviness of lead;

- light associated with smoke, for smoke is dark and makes the environment dark as well;

- fire is obviously hot, but is associated with cold;

- health being called sick, when sickness should be the absence of health.

Answer 2

After looking carefully at the excerpt from Romeo and Juliet: "Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health"; it's appropriate to state that the type of figurative language which is used by the author is Oxymoron.

As it's known, an oxymoron can be a phrase or statement that seems to say two opposite things, which is case with the use of two words with opposite meaning such as "sick health", "cold fire", "bright smoke" or "feather and lead" together.