Target Exam

CUET

Subject

English

Chapter

Comprehension - (Poetry / Literary)

Question:

Read the following poem and answer the question that follows :

In Those Days

In those days - they were long ago-
The snow was cold, the night was black.
I licked from my cracked lips
A snowflake, as I looked back

Through branches, the last uneasy snow.
Your shadow, there in the light, was still.
In a little the light went out.
I went on, stumbling_till at last the hill

Hid the house. And, yawning,
In bed in my room, alone,
I would look out: over the quilted
Rooftops, the clear stars shone.

How poor and miserable we were,
How seldom together!
And yet after so long one thinks:
In those days everything was better. 

Which figure of speech has been used in the following phrase?

"uneasy snow"

Options:

Similie

Metaphor

Alliteration

Synecdoche

Correct Answer:

Metaphor

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (2) - Metaphor

Option (1) → Simile
A simile is a comparison using words like “as” or “like.”
Example: “as cold as ice”
In “uneasy snow”, no such word is used, so it is not a simile.

Option (2) → Metaphor
A metaphor is an implied comparison where a quality is directly given to something.
Here, snow is described as “uneasy”, which is a human emotion.
So, a human feeling is transferred to snow → Metaphor.

Option (3) → Alliteration
Alliteration is the repetition of the same starting sound in nearby words.
Example: “wild winds were wailing”
In “uneasy snow”, there is no repetition of starting sounds → Not alliteration.

Option (4) → Synecdoche
Synecdoche is when a part represents the whole or vice versa.
Example: “wheels” for car
The phrase “uneasy snow” does not show part-whole relationship → Not synecdoche.