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The Gift of the Magi

by O. Henry

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The Gift of the Magi Questions on Metaphor

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The Gift of the Magi

In "The Gift of the Magi," the phrase "tripped by on rosy wings" metaphorically describes how quickly and delightfully the next two hours pass for Della, once she gets the money needed to buy a...

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The Gift of the Magi

The "hashed metaphor" in the quote from "The Gift of the Magi" is "the next two hours tripped by on rosy wings." By "hashed," O. Henry means the metaphor is trite, overused, and not very good, as...

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The Gift of the Magi

In "The Gift of the Magi," Della feels embarrassed as she bargains hard with shopkeepers to save every penny, which makes her cheeks burn with the silent accusation of being miserly, or "parsimony."...

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The Gift of the Magi

The figurative language used in the phrase "Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher" from "The Gift of the Magi" is a metaphor. This...

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The Gift of the Magi

In "The Gift of the Magi," "ransacked the stores" means Della searched thoroughly and frantically for a suitable gift, specifically a watch chain for Jim's prized watch. The term "ransacked" implies...

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