Read the poem and answer the questions given below it.
At ten we said, “One game, and then we sleep.”
Kabir in Jaipur, Meher two lanes down,
Dev on his hostel bunk, and me at home,
my headphones on, my books pushed to the ground.
We lost the first. We lost the second, too.
Dev blamed the lag and nearly went to bed.
Kabir went quiet. Meher only laughed.
“Again. This time we play as one,” she said.
By two we spoke in half-words: “Left.” “Reload.”
“I’m low.” “Hang on, I’m coming.” “Got him. Go!”
No one played star. Each watched another’s back,
and round by round our score began to grow.
At five, the final round: twelve all. And Dev,
who blamed the lag, was last of us alive.
He held, and won. I jumped up in my room
and gave a silent cheer at ten past five.
By six the sky had turned from black to grey,
then pink above the water tanks, then gold.
“GG,” typed Meher. “Friday, same time?” “Done.”
And Ma would soon be up, and she would scold.
Identify the figure of speech used in the lines:
“He held, and won. I jumped up in my room
and gave a silent cheer at ten past five.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Oxymoron
Oxymoron:
- An oxymoron puts two words of opposite meaning side by side.
- A cheer is a loud shout of joy. But this one is “silent” (without any sound). The speaker shouts for joy with no noise. It is ten past five, and Ma is still asleep. Example: The two brothers are friendly enemies on the cricket field.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Simile — Incorrect. A simile compares two different things using “like” or “as”. Example: The runner was as quick as a deer.
Option 2: Personification — Incorrect. Personification gives human actions or feelings to a thing or an animal. Example: The old door groaned when I pushed it.
Option 4: Hyperbole — Incorrect. Hyperbole is a big exaggeration that is not meant to be taken as true. Example: This bag weighs a ton.