“A Nocturnal Reverie” by Anne Finch, Countess of Winchilsea
In such a night, when every louder wind
Is to its distant cavern safe confined;
And only gentle Zephyr fans his wings,
And lonely Philomel, still waking, sings;
Or from some tree, famed for the owl’s delight,
She, hollowing clear, directs the wand’rer right:
In such a night, when passing clouds give place,
Or thinly veil the heav’ns’ mysterious face;
When in some river, overhung with green,
The waving moon and the trembling leaves are seen;
When freshened grass now bears itself upright,
And makes cool banks to pleasing rest invite,
Whence springs the woodbind, and the bramble-rose,
And where the sleepy cowslip sheltered grows;
Whilst now a paler hue the foxglove takes,
Yet checkers still with red the dusky brakes
When scatter’d glow-worms, but in twilight fine,
Shew trivial beauties, watch their hour to shine;
Whilst Salisb’ry stands the test of every light,
In perfect charms, and perfect virtue bright:
When odors, which declined repelling day,
Through temp’rate air uninterrupted stray;
When darkened groves their softest shadows wear,
And falling waters we distinctly hear;
When through the gloom more venerable shows
Some ancient fabric, awful in repose,
While sunburnt hills their swarthy looks conceal,
And swelling haycocks thicken up the vale:
When the loosed horse now, as his pasture leads,
Comes slowly grazing through th’ adjoining meads,
Whose stealing pace, and lengthened shade we fear,
Till torn-up forage in his teeth we hear:
When nibbling sheep at large pursue their food,
And unmolested kine rechew the cud;
When curlews cry beneath the village walls,
And to her straggling brood the partridge calls;
Their shortlived jubilee the creatures keep,
Which but endures, whilst tyrant man does sleep;
When a sedate content the spirit feels,
And no fierce light disturbs, whilst it reveals;
But silent musings urge the mind to seek
Something, too high for syllables to speak;
Till the free soul to a composedness charmed,
Finding the elements of rage disarmed,
O’er all below a solemn quiet grown,
Joys in th’ inferior world, and thinks it like her own:
In such a night let me abroad remain,
Till morning breaks, and all’s confused again;
Our cares, our toils, our clamors are renewed,
Or pleasures, seldom reached, again pursued.
Use the poem to answer the question.
What effect is communicated by the image of the horse in the following lines of the poem?
When the loosed horse now, as his pasture leads,
Comes slowly grazing through th’ adjoining meads,
Whose stealing pace, and lengthened shade we fear,
Till torn-up forage in his teeth we hear:
A.
surprise and fear
B.
yearning for freedom
C.
fleeting concern
D.
awareness of hunger
E.
sense of vulnerability
E. sense of vulnerability
The effect communicated by the image of the horse in the lines is E. sense of vulnerability. The mention of the horse's "stealing pace" and the fear of its "lengthened shade" implies a sense of vulnerability, as if the presence of the horse could potentially pose a threat or cause harm. The mention of hearing the horse chew on torn-up forage also adds to this feeling of vulnerability.
To determine the effect communicated by the image of the horse in the lines, it is important to analyze the language and context within the poem.
In these lines, the horse is described as grazing slowly and leisurely through the meadows. The mention of the horse's "stealing pace" and "lengthened shade" suggests a sense of stealth and movement. The mention of "torn-up forage in his teeth" implies that the horse is searching and feeding on the grass.
Considering these details, the effect communicated by the image of the horse in these lines is a sense of vulnerability. The language used helps to convey the image of a horse cautiously grazing, always aware of its surroundings and constantly on guard against potential threats. The fear and concern associated with the horse's movements suggest a vulnerability that could be easily disrupted or threatened.
Therefore, the correct answer is E. sense of vulnerability.