Question

Read the following lines from the poem you have studied and answer the question given below.
'_my manhood is cast-down in the flood of remembrance'
The figure of speech in this line is:
(a) Simile
(b) Metaphor
(c) Personification

Answer 1

Hint: A figure of speech or rhetorical figure is a word or phrase that is used to create a rhetorical effect in poems. It is an intentional deviation from ordinary language. Poets use this in their work to create rhymes and deep meanings. Some of the figures of speech or rhetorical figures are Simile, Metaphor, Alliteration, Assonance etc.

Complete answer:
There are many figures of speech and literary devices but here we will discuss Simile, Metaphor and Personification.
a) Simile: A figure of speech that involves direct comparison between two things or objects of a different kind. In this 'like' or 'as' is used for direct comparison. For instance, he is as brave as a lion.
b) Metaphor: A figure of speech that involves comparison between two things or objects that are not alike but do have some characteristics of features in common. In this 'like' or 'as' are not used, metaphor is used for indirect comparison. For instance, he is a shining star.
c) Personification: A figure of speech that is used to compare animal or non-human things with human attributes to create an imagery effect. For instance, dancing daffodils.

Here the sentence '_my manhood is cast-down in the flood of remembrance' is a metaphor. When the poet compares his 'manhood' with 'cast-down' and that his 'manhood can be thrown away into the flood of memories or remembrance'. These both are metaphors in the given line.

A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike things where the poet states that one thing is another. As the speaker listens to the women singing and playing the piano for him, it takes him back to his childhood, and the metaphor comparing his memories to a flood implies that the memories come in such a great quantity and at such a fast speed that he is overwhelmed by them.

Further, when he says that his "manhood is cast / Down," he is taking something intangible, his "manhood," and suggesting that it is subject to physical forces, being "cast / Down," and it can be thrown away into the flood of memories, like an article of clothing or an unwanted object; this is another metaphor (though not quite as clear as the memories=flood metaphor) because many different things could be "cast / Down." What is certain, however, is that one cannot literally cast down one's manhood, and so we know the comparison is figurative. Therefore the correct answer is Metaphor, as there is no use of human attributes that are given to a non-human thing or animal and there is no direct use of the words 'like' or 'as' to make comparison.

Thus the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: Always identify that either it is a direct comparison or an indirect one and it will be easy for you to generally decide whether the figure of speech is simile or metaphor.