Question

Read the following lines from "Song" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
5 To stay at home is best.

Which of the following best describes the poet’s word choice in these lines? Choose two options.
A. In line 1, he uses slang suitable to the topic.
B. In line 2, he uses informal language to connect with the audience.
C. In line 3, he intensifies the feeling in the poem by repeating a general idea.
D. In line 4, he uses figurative language to reinforce the feelings he is describing.
E. In line 5, he uses figurative language to drive home the lesson he is presenting.

Answer 1

C and D.

- C: The repeated phrases ("baffled and beaten and blown about") intensify the feeling through repetition (polysyndeton).
- D: "winds of the wilderness of doubt" is figurative language (a metaphor) that reinforces the sense of confusion and danger.