Answer:
It is a hyperbole that means that the author's eyes were wide with fear.
Explanation:
A hyperbole is an exaggeration to prove a point. For example: "I had a thousand pages of homework." You can't possibly have that much homework; it is exaggerated to show how much homework you have.
A simile is a comparison to another thing using the words "like" or "as." For example: "My pile of homework was as thick as a box."
An oxymoron is using two words together that contradict. For example: "My homework was finished at school." Normally people do homework at home, so it is contradictory(opposite) to do it at school. Another example is "the boiling hot ice." Usually ice is freezing cold, so it is contradictory for it to be hot.
Now that you know these figures of speech, we can answer the question. It's not a simile because it isn't comparing anything with the words "like" or "as." It's not an oxymoron because there is no contradictory statement. So, it is a hyperbole. It is exaggerating how far the person's eyes were sticking out.
To tell you a story, and perhaps to teach you something
When you interpret a phrase or quote it's how you take it, so you break it down to find it's meaning:
"Such a sorrow doesn't come suddenly," (sad things don't just come out of nowhere), "there are thousand steps to take before you get there" (everything you do leads up to a moment). So the quote means,
Everything that happens in your life; every movement and every breath, leads to the moments; the moments you don't want to have, but you have to have. These moments are the sad, but hard moments. Every moment of our lives matter. Frankly, the impossible moments might drive you crazy, but you have to have those moments in order to get to the happy moments. Therefore I know the meaning of the quote, "Such a sorrow doesn't come suddenly, there are thousand steps to take before you get there," means that most of the moments in life are the good ones, but sad things have to happen- moments lead to that event, because time exists. Time is precious so cradle it; live your life as though you could fly.
