William Wordsworth Group

Question:

moataznahouli
moataznahouli
Student
High School - 12th Grade

What are the figures of speech in "My Heart Leaps Up"?

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Posted by moataznahouli on Monday February 9, 2009 at 1:23 PM and tagged with figures of speech, literary terms, poetic devices, william wordsworth.

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  1. podunc Teacher
    College - Sophomore

    eNotes Editor

    Lines 3-5 are an example of anaphora, a device where sucessive phrases begin with the same or similar words:

    So was it when my life began, / So is it now I am a man, / So be it when I shall grow old / Or let me die!

    Subsequently, line six is an example of hyperbole, or an overstatment that emphasizes an idea but is not meant to be taken literally.

    Finally, in line 7 we see a paradoxical statement: "The child is the father of the man". This statement appears to contradict itself until the reader realizes that Wordsworth is speaking figuratively and not literally.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/william-wordsworth-salem

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    Posted by podunc on Friday February 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM