Sound and Sense #13 p. 234 exercise

1. Choice A more successfully adapts sound to sense because the repeated ‘your’ followed by a soft g sound melodically links the last two clauses.

2. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the excerpt is written in iambic pentameter, while the last line in Choice A has an extra syllable in the last line breaking the musical effects of the excerpt.

3. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the hard c sound links ‘out-cast’ and ‘crows’ which adds to the negative connotation of crows, and the soft s sound links ‘across’ and ‘whiteness’ painting a vast scenery for the reader.

4. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the euphonious l, v, and s sounds add to the melodious feel of the poem. Also, the soft t sounds in ‘tells’ and ‘twilight’ links the two lines together.

5. Choice A more successfully adapts sound to sense because the poet uses alliteration to link ‘thousand’ to ‘through’, ‘moan’ to ‘gnarled’, and ‘quiet’ to ‘countless’.

6. Choice A more successfully adapts sound to sense because the harsh sh and st sounds add to the larks lack of tune.

7. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the end rhyme of the couplet connects the two lines and brings attention to the harsh b and g sounds.

8. Choice A more successfully adapts sound to sense because the repeated s sounds within the excerpt link the actions of the Night and Day to the world.

9. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the ABAB rhyme scheme adds to the melodic effect of the poem that symbolizes the routine of the end of the day.

10. Choice B more successfully adapts sound to sense because the end rhyme of the couplet gives rhythm to the poem making the poem more pleasing to the reader.