Here is A Legend of the Northland, a detailed exploration and explanation of the figure of speech and its many facets. In this post, we have explained various examples of figurative speech, providing a comprehensive understanding of A Legend of the Northland in terms of all Poetic Device. We have also told the reason why a particular figure of speech occurs in a particular line. This is going to help the children of various classes Class IX. Dive in for figure of speech examples-
Table of Contents
Figure of Speech in A Legend of the Northland Stanza 1
Away, away in the Northland,
Where the hours of the day are few,
And the nights are so long in winter
That they cannot sleep them through;
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “That they cannot sleep them through;”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘th’ sound in “That they” is an example of alliteration, creating a rhythmic and smooth flow in the line.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “Away, away in the Northland,”
Reason: The repetition of the word “away” emphasizes the distance and remoteness of the Northland, reinforcing the setting’s isolation.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “And the nights are so long in winter / That they cannot sleep them through;”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence into the next line without a pause or break is an example of enjambment, which creates a flowing narrative and maintains the reader’s interest.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Assonance
Exact Line: “Away, away in the Northland,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘a’ sound in “Away, away” is an example of assonance, contributing to the musical quality of the poem and enhancing the description of the Northland.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Away, away in the Northland,”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of a distant, cold place, helping the reader visualize the setting of the Northland.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Hyperbole
Exact Line: “And the nights are so long in winter That they cannot sleep them through;”
Reason: This is an exaggeration for effect. The nights are described as so long that it’s impossible to sleep through them, emphasizing the extremity of winter in the Northland.
Also Read:
- Hard Words : A Legend of Northland Difficult Words in English
- The Legend of Northland MCQ
- The Legend of Northland Extra Questions
- The Legend of Northland NCERT Question Answer
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 2
Where they harness the swift reindeer
To the sledges, when it snows;
And the children look like bear’s cubs
In their funny, furry clothes:
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “they harness the”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘th’ sound in “they harness the” is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic quality to the line.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “sledges, when it snows”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “sledges, snows” is another instance of alliteration, enhancing the musicality of the stanza.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “look like”
Reason: The ‘l’ sound in “look like” is repeated, contributing to the stanza’s alliterative pattern.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “funny, furry”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘f’ sound in “funny, furry” adds to the playful and descriptive nature of the line.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: The stanza as a whole
Reason: The sentences continue without a break from one line to the next throughout the stanza, creating a sense of flow and continuity.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Simile
Exact Line: “And the children look like bear’s cubs”
Reason: This comparison of the children to bear cubs using ‘like’ is a simile, creating a vivid and playful image.
7. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Where they harness the swift reindeer / To the sledges, when it snows;”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of a snowy landscape where reindeer are being harnessed to sledges, evoking a sense of the region’s culture and way of life.
8. Name of Figure of Speech: Consonance
Exact Line: “In their funny, furry clothes:”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘f’ sound in ” funny furry ” creates consonance, enhancing the auditory quality of the line.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 3
They tell them a curious story —
I don’t believe ’tis true;
And yet you may learn a lesson
If I tell the tale to you.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “They tell them”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘t’ sound in “They tell them” is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic quality to the line.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “yet you”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘y’ sound in “yet you” is another instance of alliteration, enhancing the flow of the stanza.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “learn a lesson”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘l’ sound in “learn a lesson” contributes to the stanza’s alliterative pattern, reinforcing the narrative rhythm.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “tell the tale”
Reason: The ‘t’ sound repeated in “tell the tale” adds to the musicality of the stanza, emphasizing the storytelling theme.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “tell them a curious story — / If I tell the tale to you.”
Reason: The word “tell” is repeated, emphasizing the act of storytelling and its importance in the poem.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “And yet you may learn a lesson / If I tell the tale to you.”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence into the next line without a pause or break is an example of enjambment, creating a sense of continuity and flow in the narration.
7. Name of Figure of Speech: Direct Address
Exact Line: “If I tell the tale to you.”
Reason: The narrator directly addresses the reader or listener, creating a conversational tone and engaging the audience more intimately in the storytelling.
8. Name of Figure of Speech: Paradox
Exact Line: “I don’t believe ’tis true; And yet you may learn a lesson”
Reason: The statement combines disbelief in the story’s truth with the belief in its instructional value, suggesting that something not literally true can still offer meaningful insights, creating a paradoxical situation.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 4
Once, when the good Saint Peter
Lived in the world below,
And walked about it, preaching,
Just as he did, you know,
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “Once, when the good Saint Peter / Lived in the world below,”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence from the first line into the second without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the flow and narrative continuity of the stanza.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Allusion
Exact Line: “the good Saint Peter”
Reason: This line alludes to Saint Peter, a well-known figure in Christian theology. Allusion is used here to draw on the cultural and religious associations with Saint Peter, adding depth to the narrative.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Lived in the world below, / And walked about it, preaching,”
Reason: These lines create a vivid image of Saint Peter living among people and preaching, helping the reader visualize the scene and understand the context.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 5
He came to the door of a cottage,
In travelling round the earth,
Where a little woman was making cakes,
And baking them on the hearth;
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “woman was”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘w’ sound in “woman was” is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic quality to the line.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “them on the hearth”
Reason: The ‘th’ sound repeated in “them on the hearth” also constitutes alliteration, contributing to the stanza’s musicality and cohesiveness.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Assonance
Exact Line: “to the door of a cottage”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘o’ sound in this phrase is an example of assonance, creating a harmonious and melodic effect in the line.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “He came to the door of a cottage, / Where a little woman was making cakes, / And baking them on the hearth;”
Reason: These lines create a vivid image of a quaint, domestic scene, allowing the reader to visualize Saint Peter’s arrival at a cottage and the woman baking cakes.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “In travelling round the earth,”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence from the second line to the third without a pause is enjambment, which maintains the flow of the narrative and links the global journey of Saint Peter with the specific location of the cottage.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 6
And being faint with fasting,
For the day was almost done,
He asked her, from her store of cakes,
To give him a single one.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “faint with fasting”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘f’ sound in “faint with fasting” is an example of alliteration, creating a rhythmic effect that emphasizes Saint Peter’s state of hunger.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “day was almost done”
Reason: The ‘d’ sound repeated in “day was almost done” also constitutes alliteration, enhancing the lyrical quality of the description of the time of day.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “And being faint with fasting,”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of Saint Peter’s physical state, emphasizing his hunger and fatigue, which makes the scene more relatable and tangible for the reader.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: Throughout the stanza
Reason: The continuation of sentences across lines without a pause contributes to the fluidity and coherence of the narrative.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 7
So she made a very little cake,
But as it baking lay,
She looked at it, and thought it seemed
Too large to give away.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “She looked at it, and thought it seemed / Too large to give away.”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity and narrative progression of the stanza.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “So she made a very little cake,”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of the small cake, highlighting the contrast between its size and the woman’s perception, which is central to the narrative.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “Too large to give away.”
Reason: The irony here lies in the idea that a very small cake is considered too large to give away. This contradiction emphasizes the woman’s selfishness and the moral lesson of the poem.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “She looked at it, and thought it seemed”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘t’ sound in “thought it seemed” is an example of alliteration, which adds a rhythmic quality to the stanza.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 8
Therefore she kneaded another,
And still a smaller one;
But it looked, when she turned it over,
As large as the first had done.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “still a smaller”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “still a smaller” is an example of alliteration, contributing to the rhythmic flow of the stanza and emphasizing the action of making the cake.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Assonance
Exact Line: “Therefore she kneaded another,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘e’ sound in “kneaded another” is an example of assonance, creating a harmonious sound and adding a musical quality to the line.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Therefore she kneaded another, / And still a smaller one;”
Reason: This line provides a clear visual image of the woman making progressively smaller cakes, emphasizing her growing reluctance to share.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “But it looked, when she turned it over, / As large as the first had done.”
Reason: There’s irony in the perception of the cake’s size changing despite being smaller. This reflects the woman’s internal conflict and greed, as even the smaller cake seems too large to give away.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Contrast
Exact Line: “As large as the first had done.”
Reason: The contrast between the cake’s actual size and its perceived size highlights the woman’s skewed perspective and selfishness.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: Throughout the stanza
Reason: The continuation of sentences across lines without a pause contributes to the fluidity of the narrative and the gradual build-up of the woman’s actions.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 9
Then she took a tiny scrap of dough,
And rolled and rolled it flat;
And baked it thin as a wafer —
But she couldn’t part with that.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “took a tiny”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘t’ sound in “took a tiny” is an example of alliteration, contributing to the musicality of the line and emphasizing the smallness of the dough.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “And rolled and rolled it flat;”
Reason: The repetition of the word “rolled” emphasizes the action and the effort put into making the cake extremely thin.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Simile
Exact Line: “baked it thin as a wafer —”
Reason: The comparison of the cake’s thinness to a wafer using “as” is a simile, helping to illustrate just how thin the cake was made.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Anaphora
Exact Line: “And rolled and rolled it flat; / And baked it thin as a wafer —”
Reason: The repetition of “And” at the beginning of consecutive lines is an example of anaphora, which adds a rhythmic structure to the stanza and emphasizes each step in the cake-making process.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Contrast
Exact Line: “But she couldn’t part with that.”
Reason: The stark contrast between the effort to make the cake and the inability to give it away highlights the woman’s extreme stinginess.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “But she couldn’t part with that.”
Reason: The irony is in the fact that despite making the cake as small as possible, the woman still finds it too significant to give away, underlining the theme of selfishness.
7. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Then she took a tiny scrap of dough, / And baked it thin as a wafer —”
Reason: These lines create vivid imagery, allowing the reader to visualize the process of the woman making the cake exceedingly thin, emphasizing the extent of her reluctance to give.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 10
For she said, “My cakes that seem too small
When I eat of them myself
Are yet too large to give away.”
So she put them on the shelf.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “My cakes that seem too small”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘s’ sound in “seem too small” is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic and musical quality to the line.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “For she said, “My cakes that seem too small / When I eat of them myself / Are yet too large to give away.”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity of the narrative and the expression of the woman’s thoughts.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Assonance
Exact Line: “When I eat of them myself”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘e’ sound in this line is an example of assonance, contributing to the internal harmony and emphasizing the woman’s self-centered perspective.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “My cakes that seem too small / Are yet too large to give away.”
Reason: The irony in the woman’s statement about the cakes being too small for her yet too large to give away highlights the absurdity of her greed and selfishness.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Contrast
Exact Line: “When I eat of them myself / Are yet too large to give away.”
Reason: The contrast between the woman’s willingness to consume the cakes herself and her unwillingness to give them away underscores the poem’s moral theme.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “So she put them on the shelf.”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘sh’ sound in “she” and “shelf” adds a rhythmic quality to the line.
7. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “So she put them on the shelf.”
Reason: This line creates a visual image of the cakes being placed on the shelf, symbolizing the woman’s decision to keep them for herself.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 11
Then good Saint Peter grew angry,
For he was hungry and faint;
And surely such a woman
Was enough to provoke a saint.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “Saint Peter” and “a saint”
Reason: The repetition of the word “saint” emphasizes Saint Peter’s holy status and the significance of his reaction to the woman’s actions.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “And surely such a woman / Was enough to provoke a saint.”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity and impact of the narrative.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “he was hungry”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘h’ sound in “he was hungry” is an example of alliteration, contributing to the musicality of the line and emphasizing Saint Peter’s physical state.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “For he was hungry and faint;”
Reason: This line vividly describes Saint Peter’s physical state, allowing the reader to visualize and empathize with his hunger and exhaustion.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “Was enough to provoke a saint.”
Reason: The irony in this statement highlights the extent of the woman’s selfishness, as it contrasts with the expected patience and virtue of a saint.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Hyperbole
Exact Line: “Was enough to provoke a saint.”
Reason: This is an example of hyperbole, exaggerating the situation to emphasize the extraordinary nature of the woman’s behavior.
7. Name of Figure of Speech: Characterization
Exact Line: “Then good Saint Peter grew angry,”
Reason: This line characterizes Saint Peter, providing insight into his reaction and setting up a contrast between his usual good nature and his response to the woman’s actions.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 12
And he said, “You are far too selfish
To dwell in a human form,
To have both food and shelter,
And fire to keep you warm.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “You are far too selfish / To dwell in a human form,”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence from the first line into the second without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity of Saint Peter’s speech and the impact of his words.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Assonance
Exact Line: “To have both food and shelter,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘o’ sound in “food and” is an example of assonance, contributing to the internal rhythm of the line and enhancing its musical quality.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “You are far too selfish / To dwell in a human form,”
Reason: There’s irony in the statement that someone is too selfish to be human, highlighting the extremity of the woman’s behavior.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Hyperbole
Exact Line: “To dwell in a human form,”
Reason: This hyperbolic statement exaggerates the woman’s negative qualities to make a moral point.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “And fire to keep you warm.”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of the comforts of home, highlighting the woman’s greed in contrast to the necessities she possesses.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 13
Now, you shall build as the birds do,
And shall get your scanty food
By boring, and boring, and boring,
All day in the hard, dry wood.”
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “build as the birds” and “By boring, and boring, and boring,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘b’ sound in both phrases is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic and emphatic quality to the lines, emphasizing the actions of building and boring.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “boring, and boring, and boring,”
Reason: The repetition of the word “boring” emphasizes the monotonous and continuous nature of the woman’s task, reflecting the tedium and hardship of her punishment.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “And shall get your scanty food / By boring, and boring, and boring,”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity and linking the woman’s actions with their consequences.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Simile
Exact Line: “you shall build as the birds do,”
Reason: This line uses a simile to compare the woman’s future actions to those of birds, vividly depicting her new, diminished state of life.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “All day in the hard, dry wood.”
Reason: This line creates a vivid image of the laborious task set before the woman, emphasizing the harshness of her punishment.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Hyperbole
Exact Line: “And shall get your scanty food / All day in the hard, dry wood.”
Reason: The exaggeration in describing her task of getting food highlights the severity of her punishment and the drastic change in her lifestyle.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 14
Then up she went through the chimney,
Never speaking a word,
And out of the top flew a woodpecker,
For she was changed to a bird.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “Then up she went through the chimney, / And out of the top flew a woodpecker,”
Reason: These lines create vivid imagery, portraying the transformation of the woman into a woodpecker and her ascent through the chimney, enabling the reader to visualize this magical metamorphosis.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Metamorphosis
Exact Line: “For she was changed to a bird.”
Reason: The transformation of the woman into a bird is a literal metamorphosis, which is a dramatic and symbolic change, highlighting the consequences of her actions.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “Then up she went through the chimney,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘th’ sound in “Then” and “through the” adds a rhythmic quality to the line and emphasizes the motion of her ascent.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Symbolism
Exact Line: “flew a woodpecker,”
Reason: The woodpecker symbolizes the woman’s transformed state and her new life of constant labor, as woodpeckers are known for their persistent pecking and boring into wood.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Irony
Exact Line: “Never speaking a word,”
Reason: There is irony in the woman’s silence during her transformation, contrasting with her previous verbal refusal to share her cakes, which implies a loss of her human voice and agency.
Figures of Speech Poem – A Legend of the Northland Stanza 15
She had a scarlet cap on her head,
And that was left the same;
But all the rest of her clothes were burned
Black as a coal in the flame.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “But all the rest of her clothes were burned / Black as a coal in the flame.”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the fluidity and the dramatic impact of the description.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Simile
Exact Line: “Black as a coal in the flame.”
Reason: The comparison of the woman’s burned clothes to coal using “as” is a simile, vividly describing the extent of the transformation and the charred state of her attire.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “scarlet cap on her head,”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘h’ sound in “her head” is an example of alliteration, adding a musical quality to the line and emphasizing the description.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “She had a scarlet cap on her head,” and “Black as a coal in the flame.”
Reason: These lines create vivid imagery, one describing the striking scarlet cap, and the other painting a picture of her clothes burned black, emphasizing the visual transformation.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Contrast
Exact Line: “She had a scarlet cap on her head, / But all the rest of her clothes were burned”
Reason: The contrast between the unchanged scarlet cap and her burned clothes highlights the partial nature of her transformation and the remnants of her human identity.
6. Name of Figure of Speech: Symbolism
Exact Line: “scarlet cap on her head”
Reason: The scarlet cap symbolizes the remnants of her human identity and possibly her unchanged stubbornness or pride, even after her transformation.
A Legend of the Northland Poetic Device Stanza 16
And every country schoolboy
Has seen her in the wood,
Where she lives in the trees till this very day,
Boring and boring for food.
1. Name of Figure of Speech: Alliteration
Exact Line: “for food”
Reason: The repetition of the ‘f’ sound in “for food” is an example of alliteration, adding a rhythmic emphasis to the woodpecker’s continuous search for sustenance.
2. Name of Figure of Speech: Repetition
Exact Line: “Boring and boring”
Reason: The repetition of the word “boring” emphasizes the persistent and monotonous action of the woodpecker, reflecting the endless nature of her punishment.
3. Name of Figure of Speech: Enjambment
Exact Line: “And every country schoolboy / Has seen her in the wood,”
Reason: The continuation of the sentence across these lines without a break demonstrates enjambment, enhancing the flow of the narrative and connecting the legend to a common observation.
4. Name of Figure of Speech: Imagery
Exact Line: “And every country schoolboy / Has seen her in the wood,”
Reason: These lines create vivid imagery, picturing a common sight in the woods, easily recognizable to local children, bringing the legend into a relatable context.
5. Name of Figure of Speech: Symbolism
Exact Line: “boring for food”
Reason: Boring for food symbolizes the woman’s unending penance and mirrors her previous behavior, now transformed into a never-ending task
