Question

Identify the figure of speech in the sentence: ``The silence was so profound, it screamed in my ears."

• A. Oxymoron
• B. Metaphor
• C. Irony
• D. Personification

Hint:

To identify figures of speech, focus on the key phrase and its effect. For personification, look for non-human entities (e.g., objects, concepts) given human traits (e.g., actions, emotions). Compare against definitions of other figures like metaphors (comparisons), oxymorons (contradictory terms), or irony (expectation vs. reality) to eliminate incorrect options. Practice by listing examples of each figure to build familiarity.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

In the sentence "The silence was so profound, it screamed in my ears," the figure of speech used is Personification. Here's why:

• Personification is a figure of speech in which human qualities are attributed to animals, objects, or abstract ideas. In this case, the abstract concept of "silence" is given the human ability to "scream," which is a sound typically associated with human beings or creatures capable of making noises.
• This attribution of a human characteristic (screaming) to something non-human (silence) vividly illustrates how intense the silence is, creating a powerful and dramatic effect.
• Other options like Oxymoron, Metaphor, and Irony do not apply here because the sentence does not juxtapose opposing ideas (Oxymoron), does not make a direct comparison without using "like" or "as" (Metaphor), and does not suggest a meaning opposite to the one stated (Irony).