Question

What literary device is used in this excerpt, and why? "Ride ten thousand days and nights, till age snow white hairs on thee, thou when thou return'st, Wilt tell me, all strange wonders that befell thee, and swear, no where, lives a woman true and fair."

a) Simile - comparing the journey to the aging process
b) Metaphor - describing the journey as a snowy night
c) Foreshadowing - predicting the return with stories of wonders
d) Hyperbole - exaggerating the length of the journey

Answer 1

The literary device used in the excerpt is hyperbole, which emphasizes the lengthy and challenging journey and the skepticism regarding fidelity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The literary device used in the excerpt "Ride ten thousand days and nights, till age snow white hairs on thee, thou when thou return'st, Wilt tell me, all strange wonders that befell thee, and swear, no where, lives a woman true and fair" is hyperbole. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that involves exaggeration for emphasis or effect. In this case, the journey's duration of ten thousand days and nights is greatly exaggerated to emphasize the long and arduous nature of the traveler's adventures and the skepticism about finding a 'woman true and fair.' It is not meant to be taken literally but is used to underscore the speaker's point about the rarity of fidelity.