Read the poem below and answer the question that follows. “Spring”by Edna St. Vincent Millay To what purpose, April, do you return again?Beauty is not enough.You can no longer quiet me with the rednessOf little leaves opening stickily.I know what I know.The sun is hot on my neck as I observeThe spikes of the crocus.The smell of the earth is good.It is apparent that there is no deathBut what does that signify?Not only underground are the brains of menEaten by maggots.Life in itselfIs nothing,An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,AprilComes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers. Source: Millay, Edna St. Vincent. “Spring.” Second April. New York: J. J. Little and Ives Company, 1921. Poetry Foundation. Web. 05 May 2011. Which excerpt illustrates the use of alliteration in this poem?
Answer
A
“To what purpose, April, do you return again?”
B
“Not only underground are the brains of men/Eaten by maggots.”
C
“You can no longer quiet me with the redness/Of little leaves opening stickily.”
D
“Life in itself/Is nothing,/An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.”
Explanation
Alliteration is the repetition of the same initial consonant sound in nearby words. In “little leaves,” the words “little” and “leaves” both begin with the /l/ sound, making choice C the clearest example.
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