Love came to Flora asking for a flower That would of flowers be undisputed queen, The lily and the rose, long, long had been Rivals for that high honour. Bards of power Had sung their claims. "The rose can never tower Like the pale lily with her Juno mien"— "But is the lily lovelier?" Thus between Flower factions rang the strife in Psyche's bower.

"Give me a flower delicious as the rose And stately as the lily in her pride"— "But of what colour?" — "Rose-red," Love first chose, Then prayed, — "No, lily-white, — or, both provide;" And Flora gave the lotus, "rose-red" dyed, And "lily-white", — the queenliest flower that blows

Fill in the blank with the correct option: "delicious as the rose/And stately as the lily" is an example of

Question

Love came to Flora asking for a flower That would of flowers be undisputed queen, The lily and the rose, long, long had been Rivals for that high honour. Bards of power Had sung their claims. "The rose can never tower Like the pale lily with her Juno mien"— "But is the lily lovelier?" Thus between Flower factions rang the strife in Psyche's bower.

"Give me a flower delicious as the rose And stately as the lily in her pride"— "But of what colour?" — "Rose-red," Love first chose, Then prayed, — "No, lily-white, — or, both provide;" And Flora gave the lotus, "rose-red" dyed, And "lily-white", — the queenliest flower that blows

Fill in the blank with the correct option: "delicious as the rose/And stately as the lily" is an example of

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 1:

The expression "delicious as the rose" and "stately as the lily" are perfect examples of a simile. A simile is a figure of speech that involves the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid. The essential components of a simile are the use of comparative words, typically "like" or "as," to draw a direct and explicit comparison between two dissimilar entities. In the line, Love is seeking a flower that is compared to the rose for its "delicious" quality (suggesting fragrance and beauty) and compared to the lily for being "stately" (suggesting grandeur and dignity). The key identifier here is the presence of the word "as," which clearly signals a direct comparison: delicious **as** the rose, and stately **as** the lily. Similes are fundamental tools in poetry and literature, enabling poets like Toru Dutt (who wrote *The Lotus* from which these lines are taken) to create rich imagery and connect abstract qualities (deliciousness, stateliness) to concrete, recognizable objects (the rose, the lily). This direct, stated comparison is what defines the figure of speech as a simile.

The incorrect option is 2 (metaphor):
A metaphor is a figure of speech that, unlike a simile, makes an implicit or hidden comparison between two things that are unrelated but share some common characteristics, without using "like" or "as." If the lines had stated, for example, "The rose is deliciousness itself," it would have been a metaphor. Since the comparison uses "as," it is clearly a simile and not a metaphor.

The incorrect option is 3 (hyperbole):
Hyperbole is the exaggeration of a statement for emphasis or effect, not meant to be taken literally. While the flower is described in highly complimentary terms, the lines themselves are purely comparative, not an over-the-top exaggeration of size or degree. Hyperbole would involve an extreme, unrealistic claim, such as "The rose is more delicious than everything in the universe combined."

The incorrect option is 4 (onomatopoeia):
Onomatopoeia refers to words that imitate the natural sounds of something, such as "buzz," "hiss," or "crack." The phrases "delicious as the rose" and "stately as the lily" are descriptive comparisons related to appearance and scent, and they do not involve any sound effects. Therefore, onomatopoeia is entirely irrelevant to the device used in this poetic fragment.