Which poetic device is used in line 11 and 12 of poem “If”?

QuestionsWhich poetic device is used in line 11 and 12 of poem “If”?
aimate greenwood asked 8 months ago

Explain the poetic devices / figures of speech used in line 11 and 12 of Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If–“.

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1 Answers
Staff answered 8 months ago

Here are line 11 and 12 from Kipling’s poem “If-“:

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

In the above lines, two poetic devices are used — metaphor and personification.
 
Metaphor: Metaphor is an indirect comparison where there is a point of similarity. Triumph and Disaster are indirectly compared to two imposters who can deceive us. Triumph makes us happy, and on the other hand, disaster makes us sad. Both these things harms us. Happiness makes us forget our duty and sorrow can make us too weak. Thus, triumph and disaster both trick us into non-action and in a way deceive us.
 
Personification: We can classify these lines also as an example of personification which is attributing human characteristics to non-human objects. The poet has used both the words “Triumph” and “Disaster” in capitalised form and advised us to treat them equally, as if they are human beings who can trick us.

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