Identify the figure of speech used in the given sentence:
"Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with tears"
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Hyperbole
The sentence "Why, man, if the river were dry, I am able to fill it with tears" is an example of hyperbole. Hyperbole is the exaggeration of a statement for emphasis or effect. The statement "I am able to fill it with tears" if a river were dry is an obvious and extreme exaggeration, indicating an immense amount of sadness, which is characteristic of hyperbole.
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Simile: A comparison between two unlike things using "like" or "as." There is no "like" or "as" here.
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Personification: Giving human qualities or actions to inanimate objects or abstract ideas. The river isn't doing anything human-like here.
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Metaphor: A direct comparison between two unlike things without using "like" or "as," stating one thing is another. There isn't a direct "is" comparison here; it's an exaggeration of an ability.