Analyzing Figurative Language and Structure in Poetry
Question 10 • FL-1001070-M/J Language Arts 3 B-CR
Read the excerpt from "The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe.Hear the loud alarum bells—Brazen bells!What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!In the startled ear of nightHow they scream out their affright!Too much horrified to speak,They can only shriek, shriek,Out of tune,In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire,In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,Leaping higher, higher, higher,With a desperate desire,And a resolute endeavorNow—now to sit or never,By the side of the pale-faced moon.Oh, the bells, bells, bells!What a tale their terror tellsOf Despair!
Answer
A
the musical quality of the bells
B
the disturbing effect of the bells
C
the soothing nature of the bells
D
the poor condition of the bells
Explanation
The bells are described with words such as “terror,” “scream,” “affright,” and “Despair,” which make them seem frightening and upsetting. The lines about the bells appealing to the fire’s “mercy” show the panic caused by the fire. Therefore, the excerpt emphasizes the disturbing effect of the bells, not a soothing quality or their physical condition.
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