What comparative figure of speech is used here: “ The pen, the hand, the vein were vanquish’d by the mighty theme” A. Auditory imagery B.Metaphor C. Simile D. Verbal irony
English · Middle School · Thu Feb 04 2021
Answered on
B. Metaphor
In the given line “The pen, the hand, the vein were vanquish’d by the mighty theme,” a metaphor is used. This figure of speech involves an implied comparison between two unrelated things without using "like" or "as" (which would make it a simile). In this case, the pen, hand, and vein (representing the act of writing and the writer themselves) are being "defeated" (vanquish'd) by the overwhelming nature of the subject they are trying to write about (the mighty theme). This suggests that the theme is so powerful or complex that it overwhelms the writer’s ability to capture or control it in writing. The writer here is personifying the writing tools and their own physical aspects as combatants in a struggle against the abstract concept of the theme.