Question

select the correct answer.
read this excerpt from \the open boat\ by stephen crane:
the correspondent looked over his shoulder at the captain. his face was hidden, and he seemed to be asleep. he looked at the babes of the sea. they certainly were asleep. so, being bereft of sympathy, he leaned a little way to one side and swore softly into the sea.
which figure of speech is used in the phrase \babes of the sea\?

a. pace

b. simile

c. diction

d. metaphor

e. syntax

Explanation:

To determine the figure of speech, we analyze each option:

• Option A (pace) refers to rhythm in writing, not relevant here.
• Option B (simile) uses "like" or "as" for comparison, which is not present.
• Option C (diction) is about word choice, not a figure of speech.
• Option D (metaphor) makes a direct comparison by using a word to mean something else. "Babes of the sea" directly compares sea elements (like waves, creatures) to babies, implying they are asleep like infants, without "like" or "as".
• Option E (syntax) is about sentence structure, not a figure of speech.

Answer:

D. metaphor