Question

“Happiness Epidemic” by David Hernandez Without any warning, the disease sweeps across the country like a traveling circus. People who were once blue, who slouched from carrying a bag of misery over one shoulder are now clinically cheerful. Symptoms include kind gestures, a bouncy stride, a smile bigger than a slice of cantaloupe. You pray that you will be infected, hope a happy germ invades your body and multiplies, spreading merriment to all your major organs like door-to-door Christmas carolers until the virus finally reaches your heart: that red house at the end of the block where your deepest wishes reside, where a dog howls behind a gate every time that sorrow pulls his hearse up the driveway. Source: Hernandez, David. “Happiness Epidemic.” Casa Poema. Casa Poem, n.d. Web. 6 June 2011. Which poetic technique is illustrated throughout the entire poem “Happiness Epidemic“? metonymy onomatopoeia conceit allusion Mark this and return

Answer 1

Conceit

is the answer. just took the test

Answer 2

I would say metonymy.

metonymy means "a figure of speech consisting of the use of the name of one thing for that of another of which it is an attribute or with which it is associated". ~Merriam Webster

Basically, it replaces one word with another one that has a similar meaning, or that it can be compared to.

Here are some examples from the passage:

1. diseases are compared to a traveling circus, because both travel far and quick.

2. germs are compared to carolers, because the "happiness epidemic" germ spreads merriment like carolers going from door to door.


I hope this helps you baiii <333