This question is based on General Literary Principles. 'The woman whose breasts I sucked is gone to the worms'. Oculi, 'Orphan' These lines illustrate the u...

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The lines "The woman whose breasts I sucked is gone to the worms" from Oculi's "Orphan" illustrate the use of euphemism. Euphemism is a figure of speech where a mild or indirect word or expression is used instead of a more explicit or unpleasant one. In this case, the speaker is using a euphemism to refer to death. Instead of saying "the woman I knew has died," which may be considered too direct or blunt, the speaker uses the expression "gone to the worms" as a more indirect and euphemistic way of referring to death. Euphemism is often used to soften the impact of unpleasant or uncomfortable topics, or to avoid causing offense or discomfort to the listener or reader. It can also be used to add a touch of humor to a serious or somber topic. In the case of the quoted lines, the use of euphemism helps to convey the speaker's sadness and sense of loss, while also adding a touch of poetic language to the description of death.