What Literary Devices Are In "Sad Complaining Voices Of Beggars" FromVanity By Birago Diop

"Sad complaining voices of beggars" is found in line 4 of the poem Vanity by Birago diop. The line contains 5 figures of speech; imagery, metaphor, personification and assonance.

(i) Imagery is the vivid descriptions presenting or suggesting image of a sensible object. The two words "sad complaining" give a vivid description of their voices.



(ii) Metaphor is the comparison made between two words without the use of "like" or "as". The phrase "voices of beggars" is a metaphor because their voices is compared to that of beggars; if the line is "sad complaining voices as beggars" it would have been simile.

(iii) Personification is when an attribute of an animate is given to an inanimate. "Voices" were said to be "sad" in the line "Sad complaining voices of beggars" it takes an animate to have an emotion of being sad not just the voice of such animate.

(iv) Assonance is a repetition of similar vowel sound. "Sad" and "Beggars" have a similar /ae/ sound or something closely similar.

(v) Synecdoche is the use of part to represent whole or whole to represent part. In the line 4 of Vanity by Birago Diop: "Sad complaining voices of beggars" has a synecdoche because "voices" is a part used in representing the whole people.

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Samuel C. Enunwa aka samueldpoetry
(the Leo with wings flying)