Which lines in this excerpt from Mary Otis Warren's poem "A Political Reverie" use figurative language?

1) I look with rapture at the distant dawn,

And view the glories of the opening morn,

2) When justice holds his sceptre o'er the land,

3) And rescues freedom from a tyrant's hand;

4) When patriot states in laurel crowns may rise,

5) And ancient kingdoms court them as allies;

Glory and valour shall be here display'd,

6) And virtue rear her long dejected head;

Her standard plant beneath these gladden'd skies,

7) Her fame extend, and arts and science rise;

8) While empire's lofty spreading sails unfurl'd,

9) Roll swiftly on towards the western world

Question

English

Kamari Arroyo

12 December, 08:48

Which lines in this excerpt from Mary Otis Warren's poem "A Political Reverie" use figurative language?

1) I look with rapture at the distant dawn,

And view the glories of the opening morn,

2) When justice holds his sceptre o'er the land,

3) And rescues freedom from a tyrant's hand;

4) When patriot states in laurel crowns may rise,

5) And ancient kingdoms court them as allies;

Glory and valour shall be here display'd,

6) And virtue rear her long dejected head;

Her standard plant beneath these gladden'd skies,

7) Her fame extend, and arts and science rise;

8) While empire's lofty spreading sails unfurl'd,

9) Roll swiftly on towards the western world

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Answers (1)

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Derrick Small · Answer 1

All of the lines with the exception of the first line make use of figurative language. They each treat the nouns that is their subject (for example, justice, kingdoms, virtue) as if they are people who can carry out certain actions. This anthropomorphism of the nouns is figurative as they don’t actually act in this way.