Concept:The figure used in this line is a rhetorical question, which is a device of rhetoric.
Explanation:The poet asks the question without expecting any answer, because he wants to make a firm point.
By saying "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" Shelley uses winter to stand for hardship and spring to stand for hope and renewal.
The question persuades the reader to remain optimistic even in difficult times.
This persuasive use of language is exactly what makes it a device of rhetoric.
It is not an apostrophe, since the speaker is not directly addressing an absent person or abstract force in this line.
It is not an allegory, because the line does not develop a continuous hidden story.
It is not poetic license, as no rule of language is deliberately bent or broken.
Answer:D. a rhetoric — the line is a rhetorical question used for effect.