Well a ballad is <span>a poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas. Traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship, having been passed on orally from one generation to the next as part of the folk culture. </span>They are tricky if you don't read it carefully.
Answer:
A). It is odd that war should ever be viewed as an adventurous expedition.
Explanation:
Paradox is demonstrated as the literary device in which the author presents a statement that is self-contradictory or incongruous juxtaposition of ideas which captures the readers' attention and reveal a latent truth.
As per the question, option A i.e. 'it is odd that war should ever be viewed as an adventurous expedition' most appropriately elaborates the use of paradox in the given excerpt. The author <u>incongruously juxtaposes the conventional idea of war by presenting it as an 'adventurous expedition' which eventually turn into an 'exhaustion and war of attrition' </u>to highlight the serious concern that 'the causes for the war dampens over time and gradually all that is significant is staying alive'('no cause other than our own survival'). Thus, <u>option A</u> is the correct answer.
