Sir Roger in Love : Literary devices
Sir Roger in Love is a notable literary work by Joseph Addison. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Sir Roger in Love.
Literary devices
Figures of Speech
Metaphor: “She was born for the destruction of all who behold her.”
Here, the widow’s beauty is compared to a force that “destroys” men’s hearts.
Simile: “I bowed like a great surprised booby.” Sir Roger compares himself to a foolish person when he first saw the widow.
“Make love to her, as you would conquer the sphinx.” He means that Winning her love is compared to solving a mythical riddle, showing it is very difficult.
Personification: The narrator says the trees and land “remind” him of the widow; the land is treated as having memory like a person.
Hyperbole: “She is beautiful beyond the race of women.” Here, Sir Roger exaggerates the widow’s beauty as greater than all other women.
Irony: Sir Roger goes to great trouble to impress the widow, but she remains completely unmoved, making his efforts useless.
Allusion: Reference to “the sphinx” from Greek myth, and the Latin and English verses about Rufus and Naevia show literary and classical knowledge.