For each of the following, identify what figure of speech, if any, is being used. In several cases, it might be argued that more than one exists. In those cases, you will identify only the primary figure.
My brother has grown a great deal in the last year. He is almost as tall as I am now.
I think this is a metaphor.
Death, be not proud, though some have calléd thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
--John Donne
I think this is personification.
Thanks!
There is no metaphor in the first sentence.
I agree with personification in the Donne lines.
So do you think it is simile? The only reason I said metaphor was because it said he is...Even though it also says as I thought it focused more on what he was. Could it have no figure of speech?
It would be a simile if you were comparing two unlike things:
He seems as tall as the building.
She sings like a lark.
I don't think that sentence has any figure of speech in it.
The first sentence is simile
That's what I was thinking, Wrtieacher.
Lana, why do you think so?
Yes, you are correct in identifying the figures of speech in both examples. Let's go through them:
1. "My brother has grown a great deal in the last year. He is almost as tall as I am now."
The figure of speech being used here is a simile. The comparison between the brother's height and the speaker's height is made using the word "as," indicating a similarity. Therefore, it is a simile.
2. "Death, be not proud, though some have calléd thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so."
The figure of speech being used here is personification. In this line from John Donne's poem, Death is being addressed and given human qualities. Death is given the attribute of being "proud," which is a typically human emotion. By addressing Death directly and attributing human characteristics to it, the poet is using personification.
Well done in identifying the figures of speech correctly! If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.