Question
Read the excerpt from "On Imagination” by Phillis Wheatley.
Now here, now there, the roving Fancy flies,
Till some lov'd object strikes her wand'ring eyes,
Whose silken fetters all the senses bind,
And soft captivity involves the mind.
Imagination! who can sing thy force?
Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?
How does the poet’s use of rhyme scheme in the excerpt contribute to the tone?
It creates a pensive tone that shows the speaker’s feelings on the power of imagination.
It creates a suspicious tone that conveys the speaker’s distrust toward imagination.
It creates an annoyed tone that demonstrates the speaker’s inability to define imagination.
It creates a humorous tone that stresses the speaker’s attitude about the quirks of imagination.
Now here, now there, the roving Fancy flies,
Till some lov'd object strikes her wand'ring eyes,
Whose silken fetters all the senses bind,
And soft captivity involves the mind.
Imagination! who can sing thy force?
Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?
How does the poet’s use of rhyme scheme in the excerpt contribute to the tone?
It creates a pensive tone that shows the speaker’s feelings on the power of imagination.
It creates a suspicious tone that conveys the speaker’s distrust toward imagination.
It creates an annoyed tone that demonstrates the speaker’s inability to define imagination.
It creates a humorous tone that stresses the speaker’s attitude about the quirks of imagination.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The poet’s use of rhyme scheme in the excerpt contributes to a **pensive tone that shows the speaker’s feelings on the power of imagination**. The structured rhyme scheme (AABB in the first two couplets) creates a lyrical quality that reflects contemplation and depth, suggesting a heartfelt exploration of the theme of imagination. The imagery of "roving Fancy" and "soft captivity" implies a reverence for the complexities and the binding nature of imaginative thought. This contemplative and reflective tone aligns with the feelings the speaker expresses about the power and swiftness of imagination.