Explanation
Approach
This line is from Robert Frost's famous poem "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." To identify the figure of speech, we need to examine whether the phrase involves exaggeration, comparison, or human attributes given to non-human things.
Step-by-step
Step 1: Analyze the phrase
"To watch his woods fill up with snow."
Literally, snowfall doesn't cause woods to "fill up" the way a container fills with liquid — trees, branches, and the forest floor gradually get covered/dusted with snow, but the forest doesn't become completely "filled" in a literal sense.
Step 2: Identify the device
Hyperbole is a deliberate exaggeration used for effect, not meant to be taken literally. The phrase "fill up with snow" exaggerates the extent of snow accumulation — the speaker isn't being literal about the woods becoming completely filled; rather, this exaggerated phrasing helps convey the intensity and thickness of the snowfall, creating a vivid image of a heavy, steady snow blanketing the forest.
Step 3: Rule out the other options
- Not Metaphor — There's no direct, implied comparison between two unlike things here; it's a literal description (albeit exaggerated) of snow accumulating.
- Not Personification — The woods aren't given human traits, emotions, or actions in this specific line (personification appears elsewhere in the poem, e.g., the horse "thinking" it's queer).
- Not Simile — There's no explicit comparison using "like" or "as."
Correct Option: B) Hyperbole — the phrase "fill up with snow" is a deliberate exaggeration describing the snow-covered woods, used to emphasize the heaviness of the snowfall rather than being literally true.