From the given options, select the one which correctly identifies the figure of speech (poetic device) used in the expression -

She accepted it as the kind cruelty of the surgeon's knife

Oxymoron

The correct answer is option 2: Oxymoron

The expression "kind cruelty of the surgeon's knife" contains two opposite ideas:

• Kindness (a positive, gentle action)

• Cruelty (a harsh, painful action)

Putting these contradictory terms together is an example of an oxymoron, which is a figure of speech that combines opposite or contradictory ideas to create a striking effect or reveal a deeper truth.

Why not the other options?

• Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unrelated things (e.g., “Time is a thief”). This sentence is not making a metaphorical comparison.

• Personification: Giving human qualities to non-human things. There is no human-like action given to an object here.

• Irony: When the opposite of what is expected happens or is said. This sentence does not show contradiction in meaning or expectation but rather uses contrasting words together.