Name the figure of speech in this line by William Wordsworth.
"The child is father of the man."

SimileCorrect answerYour answerOnomatopoeiaCorrect answerYour answerAlliterationCorrect answerYour answerParadoxCorrect answerYour answer

Show the answer and explanation

CorrectNot quiteAnswer D

Correct answer: D

A child cannot be the father of a man, so the line seems impossible. But it holds a truth: what we are as children makes the adult. A statement that seems absurd but is true is a paradox.

Worth noting

An oxymoron is two opposite words side by side. A paradox is a whole statement that seems to contradict itself.

Ten questions from Figures of speech, at your own pace.

Name the figure of speech in this line by William Wordsworth."The child is father of the man."