Read the poem and answer the following questions
Which figure of speech is used in the line “Burnt the fire of thine eyes?”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Metaphor
Metaphor:
- A metaphor says that one thing is another thing, without using “like” or “as”.
- Thine is an old word for your. The line speaks of “the fire of thine eyes”.
- The bright, fierce shine in the tiger’s eyes is called fire.
- The poet does not say the eyes are “like” fire. He calls their glow fire straight away. Example: Grandfather is the pillar of our family.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Simile — Incorrect. A simile compares two things with “like” or “as”. This line has neither word. Example: The baby’s cheeks were as soft as cotton.
Option 2: Alliteration — Incorrect. Alliteration is the same first sound repeated in words close together. The main words here, “Burnt”, “fire” and “eyes”, all begin with different sounds. Example: Peter picked purple plums from the cart.
Option 3: Personification — Incorrect. Personification gives human qualities to a thing that is not human. The line gives the tiger no human action or feeling. It only describes the glow of its eyes. Example: The old door groaned when Meena pushed it.