Read the poem given below and answer the questions that follow.
I know a funny little man,
As quiet as a mouse,
Who does the mischief that is done
In everybody’s house!
There’s no one ever sees his face,
And yet we all agree
That every plate we break was cracked
By Mr. Nobody.
’Tis he who always tears out books,
Who leaves the door ajar,
He pulls the buttons from our shirts,
And scatters pins afar;
That squeaking door will always squeak,
For prithee, don’t you see,
We leave the oiling to be done
By Mr. Nobody.
He puts damp wood upon the fire
That kettles cannot boil;
His are the feet that bring in mud,
And all the carpets soil.
The papers always are mislaid;
Who had them last, but he?
There’s no one tosses them about
But Mr. Nobody.
The finger marks upon the door
By none of us are made;
We never leave the blinds unclosed,
To let the curtains fade.
The ink we never spill; the boots
That lying round you see
Are not our boots,—they all belong
To Mr. Nobody.
What is the figure of speech used in line 2 of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Simile
Simile:
- A simile compares two different things with the help of “like” or “as”.
- Line 2 says the little man is “As quiet as a mouse”.
- The man is compared to a mouse, and the word “as” makes the comparison. That makes it a simile. Example: After the swim, Arjun was as hungry as a wolf.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Personification — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Personification gives human qualities to a thing or an idea that is not human. Line 2 does not do this. It compares a man to a mouse.
Option 3: Alliteration — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Alliteration is the same first sound repeated in words close together, as in “big brown bear”. The words “quiet” and “mouse” do not begin with the same sound.
Option 4: Irony — Incorrect. Wrong meaning: Irony is saying one thing while meaning the opposite. Line 2 means what it says. The little man is very quiet.