This question is based on General Literary Principles and Literary Appreciation 'Hall to then, blithe spirit! Bird thou wert, That from Heaven, or near it, ...

This question is based on General Literary Principles and Literary Appreciation

'Hall to then, blithe spirit!

Bird thou wert,

That from Heaven, or near it,

In profuse strains of unpremeditated art!

'To A Shylark' by P.B. Shelley

The main figure of speech in the above passage is

Answer Details

The main figure of speech in the given passage is apostrophe. Apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the speaker addresses a person or thing that is absent or not present as if it were present and could respond. In this passage, the speaker addresses a skylark as a "blithe spirit" and a "bird" that sings in "profuse strains of unpremeditated art" in a joyful and admiring tone. The skylark is not physically present, but the speaker addresses it as if it were, praising its singing and expressing his admiration. Therefore, the figure of speech used here is apostrophe.