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'To ease my mind I often strove, And tried my trouble to remove: I sung, and utter'd sighs between— Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin. Which poetic device is shown in the bolded words?

User Madagaga
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The poetic device shown in the bolded words "Assay'd to stifle guilt with sin" is oxymoron. An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory or opposing words or ideas are combined to create a unique and thought-provoking expression. In this case, "stifle guilt with sin" combines the contradictory concepts of trying to suppress or alleviate guilt by committing sinful acts, creating a paradoxical and complex image in the reader's mind.
User Seveleven
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