“With the other masquerades/That time resumes,/One thinks of all the hands/That are raising dingy shades/In a thousand furnished rooms.” Which of these best describes this excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s “Preludes”?

A. It is an example of sprung rhythm.
B. It is an example of iambic pentameter.
C. It is an example of dialect poetry.
D. It is an example of free verse.

D. It is an example of free verse.

“With the other masquerades/That time resumes,/One thinks of all the hands/That are raising dingy shades/In a thousand furnished rooms.” Which of these best describes this excerpt from T.S. Eliot’s “Preludes”?

A. It is an example of sprung rhythm.
B. It is an example of iambic pentameter.
D. It is an example of free verse.

D. It is an example of free verse.

“A shocking accident,” she would begin, and the stranger would compose his or her features into the correct shape for interest and commiseration. Both reactions, of course, were false, but it was terrible for Jerome to see how suddenly, midway in her rambling discourse, the interest would become genuine.” This excerpt from Graham Greene’s “A Shocking Accident” is an example of which of the following?

A. pathos
B. humor of situation
C. humor of character
D. slapstick

B. humor of situation

To determine the answer to this question, we need to understand the characteristics of each choice and compare them to the excerpt.

A. Sprung rhythm is a poetic technique where the number of stressed syllables in a line can vary. This choice does not accurately describe the excerpt since the rhythm in the given lines does not exhibit varying stress.

B. Iambic pentameter is a poetic meter consisting of lines with five pairs of unstressed and stressed syllables. The excerpt does not conform to this pattern, so it is not an example of iambic pentameter.

C. Dialect poetry refers to poems written in a specific regional or social dialect. The excerpt does not exhibit any specific dialect; therefore, it is not an example of dialect poetry.

D. Free verse is a type of poetry that does not adhere to traditional meter or rhyme patterns. In the given excerpt, the lines do not follow a regular meter or rhyme scheme, making it a better fit for free verse.

Based on this analysis, the best answer is D. It is an example of free verse. The excerpt does not conform to established poetic structures, allowing for more flexibility and freedom in its rhythm and form.