Question

Match each excerpt to the figurative language it uses

irony
synecdoche
symbols
metonymy



O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been
Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth,
Tasting of Flora and the country green,
Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

(from “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats)
arrowBoth




The western wave was all a-flame
The day was well nigh done!
Almost upon the western wave
Rested the broad bright Sun;
When that strange shape drove suddenly
Betwixt us and the Sun.

(from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)
arrowBoth




Thank Heaven! the crisis—
The danger is past,
And the lingering illness
Is over at last—
And the fever called "Living"
Is conquered at last.

(from “For Annie” by Edgar Allan Poe)
arrowBoth




Ah, sunflower, weary of time,
Who countest the steps of the sun;
Seeking after that sweet golden clime
Where the traveller’s journey is done;

(from “Ah! Sun-flower” by William Blake)

Answer 1

irony: Thank Heaven! the crisis— The danger is past, And the lingering illness Is over at last— And the fever called "Living" Is conquered at last. (from “For Annie” by Edgar Allan Poe) You don't expect death to be the end of the crisis. In reading this you would initially think the person got better and was living.

synecdoche: The western wave was all a-flame The day was well nigh done! Almost upon the western wave Rested the broad bright Sun; When that strange shape drove suddenly Betwixt us and the Sun. (from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge) This example talks about a wave (part) when the speaker is really talking about the ocean (whole).

Symbols: Ah, sunflower, weary of time, Who countest the steps of the sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveller’ s journey is done; (from “Ah! Sun-flower” by William Blake) In the poem he's using the sunflower as a symbol.

Metonymy: O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! (from “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats) In the selection, he's not just drinking the wine, he's also drinking everything that went into growing and making the wine.

Answer 2

O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been

Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth,

Tasting of Flora and the country green,

Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth!

(from “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats)

The above excerpt uses Metonymy.

Metonymy is the figure of speech which uses one word to explain and denote about a larger concept or idea related to it.

The western wave was all a-flame

The day was well nigh done!

Almost upon the western wave

Rested the broad bright Sun;

When that strange shape drove suddenly

Betwixt us and the Sun.

(from “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge)

The above excerpt uses synecdoche.

Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part represents the whole or a whole represent a part of it.

Thank Heaven! the crisis—

The danger is past,

And the lingering illness

Is over at last—

And the fever called "Living"

Is conquered at last.

(from “For Annie” by Edgar Allan Poe)

The above excerpt uses symbols.

In literary works, symbols are the other meanings which can be inferred by the related things. The material objects which represent the abstract ideas are also known as symbols.

Ah, sunflower, weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the sun;

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the traveller’s journey is done;

(from “Ah! Sun-flower” by William Blake)

The above excerpt uses irony.

The irony is the statement which has the meaning opposite to what is said literally. It creates humor.