Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.
O gift of God! O perfect day:
Whereon shall no man work, but play;
Whereon it is enough for me,
Not to be doing, but to be!
Through every fibre of my brain,
Through every nerve, through every vein,
I feel the electric thrill, the touch
Of life, that seems almost too much.
I hear the wind among the trees
Playing celestial symphonies;
I see the branches downward bent,
Like keys of some great instrument.
And over me unrolls on high
The splendid scenery of the sky,
Where through a sapphire sea the sun
Sails like a golden galleon,
Towards yonder cloud-land in the West,
Towards yonder Islands of the Blest,
Whose steep sierra far uplifts
Its craggy summits white with drifts.
Blow, winds! and waft through all the rooms
The snow-flakes of the cherry-blooms!
Blow, winds! and bend within my reach
The fiery blossoms of the peach!
O Life and Love! O happy throng
Of thoughts, whose only speech is song!
O heart of man! canst thou not be
Blithe as the air is, and as free?
Which figure of speech is used in the lines “I hear the wind among the trees / Playing celestial symphonies”?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Personification
Personification:
- Personification gives human qualities or actions to a thing that is not human.
- Celestial means heavenly. A symphony is a long piece of music played by a large band of musicians.
- In these lines the wind is “Playing” heavenly music among the trees. Only a person can play music.
- So the wind is shown as a musician. Example: The old clock complained every time it struck the hour.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Simile — Incorrect. A simile compares two things with “like” or “as”. These two lines have no such comparing word. Example: Ravi ran like the wind to catch the bus.
Option 2: Hyperbole — Incorrect. Hyperbole is a big exaggeration made for effect. The lines do not overstate any amount or size. Example: My bag weighs a ton today.
Option 4: Oxymoron — Incorrect. An oxymoron puts two opposite words side by side. No two words in these lines are opposites. Example: Their friendship was an open secret in the class.