Read the given passage and answer the four questions that follow:-
The Echoes of the Forgotten Violin
In a quiet town nestled between rolling hills, an old violin shop stood at the edge of the bustling marketplace. It belonged to Mr. Mehra, a craftsman whose hands once shaped melodies from wood and string. Age had slowed him, but his heart still resonated with the music of forgotten times.
One evening, as the golden sunset bathed the town in amber light, a young boy named Karan wandered into the shop. His eyes lingered on a dusty violin resting in the corner. "Does it still sing?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity.
Mr. Mehra smiled, lifting the violin with care. "Only if the right hands awaken it," he said, placing it in Karan's eager grasp. The boy, uncertain yet hopeful, ran his fingers across the strings. A hesitant note filled the air, trembling yet alive.
For weeks, Karan returned, learning under Mr. Mehra's watchful eye. With each lesson, the violin shed its silence, whispering forgotten tunes into the wind. The town, once indifferent, paused to listen as music danced through its streets.
One day, Karan arrived to find the shop empty, save for a single note: Keep the melody alive. Mr. Mehra had left, his purpose fulfilled.
Years later, Karan, now a musician, played that same violin in the heart of the town. Its echoes carried not just sound, but the story of a boy, an old craftsman, and a melody that refused to be forgotten.
Identify the figure of speech in the given sentence:-
"The golden sunset bathed the town in amber light".
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Metaphor
Metaphor:
- A metaphor describes one thing as if it were another, to bring out a likeness between them.
- The comparison is direct: there is no "like" or "as".
- In the sentence, the sunset "bathed" the town: the evening light is spoken of as water poured over the whole town, a direct comparison with no "like" or "as".
Example: After the results, the classroom was a zoo.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Simile — Incorrect. A simile compares two things using "like" or "as". The sentence has neither word; it would be a simile only if it said the light covered the town "like a bath".
Example: "Her smile was as bright as the sun" is a simile.
Option 2: Alliteration — Incorrect. Alliteration is the repetition of the same first consonant sound in words placed close together. The main words here (golden, sunset, bathed, town, amber, light) begin with different sounds.
Example: "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" uses alliteration.
Option 3: Pun — Incorrect. A pun is a play on a word that has two meanings, or on two words that sound alike, usually for humour. No word in the sentence carries a double meaning.
Example: "I used to be a banker, but I lost interest" is a pun on the two meanings of "interest".
Contrast: a metaphor makes the comparison directly, with no "like" or "as"; a simile makes it with "like" or "as".