The Best Figure of Speech in Rudyard Kipling's "If"
The Power of Personification in "If" by Rudyard Kipling
"If" by Rudyard Kipling is a timeless poem that has inspired many with its profound wisdom and guidance for navigating life's challenges. One of the most striking features of the poem is the effective use of personification to bring abstract concepts to life.
The lines, "If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same," exemplify the use of personification. The author gives human-like qualities to dreams, thoughts, Triumph, and Disaster, that those things would not normally have.
Understanding the Figures of Speech
1. Simile: Compares two things using "like" or "as".
2. Metaphor: Compares two things without using "like" or "as".
3. Hyperbole: Exaggeration for effect.
Answer: B. Personification
Explanation: The lines in "If" do not use simile or metaphor since nothing is being directly compared. Hyperbole, which involves exaggeration, is not present in the passage. Therefore, the best figure of speech exemplified in the lines is personification, as abstract concepts are given human characteristics.
"If": Which of the following figures of speech is best exemplified in the following lines? “If you can dream—and not make dreams your master; If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same;"a) simile
b) personification
c) metaphor
d) hyperbole Answer: B. Personification Explanation: The author of the lines gives human-like qualities to dreams, thoughts, Triumph, and Disaster, that those things would not normally have. Similes compare two things using "like" or "as", and metaphors do the same, just without "like" or "as." Since nothing is being compared, those two options are out. Hyperboles are exaggerations, such as "I've told you a million times." You haven't actually said it a million times but saying so gives an effect of your repetition of it. There are no exaggerations in the passage, so the only answer that fits is personification.