What literary device is used in the expression "under the world of tears"?

Answer Details

A metaphor is a figure of speech that makes an implied comparison between two unlike things without using the words "like" or "as." In the expression "under the world of tears," sadness and sorrow are described as constituting an entire "world." The subject is placed "under" this world, suggesting being overwhelmed, submerged, or engulfed by grief.

This is not a simile because there is no explicit comparison using "like" or "as." It is not personification because no human qualities are attributed to a non-human entity. It is not euphemism, which involves substituting a mild or indirect term for something considered harsh or blunt. Rather than softening the expression, this metaphor intensifies the emotional weight by transforming sadness into an all-encompassing world that presses down on the subject.

For examinations, remember that metaphors identify one thing as another or place it within an imagined context, while similes make the comparison explicit with "like" or "as."