In Eliot's "Journey of the Magi", "six hands at an open door" is an example of

In T.S. Eliot's "Journey of the Magi," the phrase "six hands at an open door" is an example of synecdoche.

Here's why:

Synecdoche is a literary figure of speech where a part of something is used to represent the whole, or vice versa. In this phrase, "six hands" are used to represent people. The hands are a part of a person, with the implication that there are three people involved (each typically having two hands) tending to or meeting at the open door. By mentioning only the "hands," Eliot is using a part to represent the whole person, which is characteristic of synecdoche.

It's important to note that the phrase is not an example of irony, as irony involves expressing something by saying the opposite or using a tone that suggests the opposite of what is being said. It is also not alliteration, which involves the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words, nor is it metonymy, which involves substituting a related term for the actual thing or concept.