What type of figurative language is this quote, “ he wasn’t eager to begin the process of sifting through his own complicated emotions.”?

Answer 1

Hey June,

In this sentence, 'Sifting' is a metaphor, since there is not a physical pile of emotions to look through. However, in modern language, 'sifting' is used broadly to refer to processing/unpacking/etc., so its status as a metaphor is in jeopardy, in my opinion.

I hope this helps!

Sam