I have a question about a figure of speech:
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind
What figure of speech is "Or every man be bling"
Would it be
synedoche
metonymy
metaphor
litotes
personification
I know its not personification or synedoche
Study these definitions. Which do you think best answers this question?
http://grammar.about.com/od/il/g/litotesterm.htm
http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metonymy.htm
http://grammar.about.com/od/mo/g/metaphorterm.htm
To determine the figure of speech used in the phrase "Or every man be blind," we can analyze the given options and the context of the phrase.
1. Synecdoche: Synecdoche is a figure of speech in which a part is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. However, "Or every man be blind" does not involve this type of substitution.
2. Metonymy: Metonymy is when a word or phrase is used to represent something closely associated with it. However, "Or every man be blind" does not involve this type of substitution either.
3. Metaphor: A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to something else, suggesting a resemblance. "Or every man be blind" does not directly compare or suggest a resemblance between two different things, so it is not a metaphor.
4. Litotes: Litotes is a figure of speech that involves using double negatives or understatement to emphasize a point. In the phrase "Or every man be blind," the use of "Or" suggests a condition and the phrase "every man be blind" expresses an understatement, emphasizing the significance of not being blinded by the truth. Therefore, "Or every man be blind" can be identified as a litotes.
Based on the given options, "litotes" best describes the figure of speech used in the phrase "Or every man be blind."