Explanation
Approach
This line is from the poem "Life" by Henry Van Dyke, a text featured in the Tamil Nadu Samacheer Kalvi 10th Standard English syllabus. To identify the figure of speech, we need to examine the full context of the stanza this line belongs to.
Step-by-step
Step 1: Read the full stanza for context
"In the dim past, nor holding back in fear
From what the future veils; but with a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To Youth and Age, and travels on with cheer."
Step 2: Identify the implied comparison
The phrase "what the future veils" treats the abstract concept of the future as though it were a person or object wearing/using a veil — something that conceals or hides things from view, the way a veil conceals a face. This is an implied, indirect comparison without using "like" or "as" — the future is being directly described as if it possesses the veiling quality, rather than merely being compared to something with a veil.
Step 3: Confirm it's a metaphor, not other devices
- It's not Repetition, since no word or phrase is deliberately repeated for emphasis in this line.
- It's not Simile, since there's no explicit comparison word like "like" or "as."
- It's not Oxymoron, since there's no combination of contradictory terms placed together (like "happy heart" isn't a contradiction).
- It is a Metaphor, because the future is directly treated as something that possesses the human/object-like quality of "veiling" — a direct, implied comparison.
Correct Option: C) Metaphor — the future is metaphorically described as something that "veils" (hides/conceals), directly attributing a veiling quality to it without using comparison words like "like" or "as."
Incorrect Options
- A) Repetition — No word or phrase is deliberately repeated in this line for emphasis.
- B) Simile — There's no explicit comparison word ("like" or "as") used in this line.
- D) Oxymoron — There's no pairing of contradictory terms in this specific line.