"And blossoms blown away" The line above from William Blake's poem " The school boy" is an example of

Analyze the question: The line "And blossoms blown away" is from Blake's "The School Boy" (Songs of Experience). We need to identify the figure of speech used.

Explain the concept:

• Personification: giving human qualities to non-human things.
• Euphemism: a mild word used in place of a harsh one.
• Alliteration: repetition of the same initial consonant sound in neighbouring words.
• Consonance: repetition of consonant sounds within or at the end of words, not just at the start.

Solution: Look at the line: "And blossoms blown away"

1. "Blossoms" and "blown" both begin with the same sound, /bl/.
2. These words sit next to each other, which is the classic pattern of alliteration.
3. Nothing in the line gives human traits to the blossoms, so it is not personification.
4. Nothing is being softened or made polite, so it is not euphemism.
5. Consonance does technically involve repeated consonant sounds. Here, though, the repetition is at the beginning of the words, and that is specifically called alliteration. This is the more precise answer.

The line therefore shows alliteration through the repeated "bl" sound.

Context note: In the poem, the blossoms being "blown away" also symbolises the loss of childhood joy and innocence under the pressures of formal schooling. This is a common theme question in JAMB.

Exam tip: When a question asks about a figure of speech, first read the line aloud and listen for repeated sounds. If the repeated sound is at the start of nearby words, choose alliteration. If it is inside or at the end of the words, think consonance. Also remember that Blake's Songs of Experience often contrasts innocence with the harshness of society.