He set his face away
from the eclipse, his eyes seeking
their way to a place where the sun
does not see. In the distance,
the wheat waved and wilted under the wind
whose breath blew beyond the bare field.
The day found its bearings under
the chorus of cicadas chirping,
their tempo keeping time like a moving train.
He set his face away from all this
and beneath him, the rainwater from the storm drained
groaning into a gorge with a slight gurgle and sigh.
The fields fall fallow under the flood and freeze, and somehow he found her—
her hair dancing
like Medusa's split ends,
his feet cementing him
like a scarecrow wearing fearless birds.
1. What effect does the following line have on the poem?
the wheat waved and wilted under the wind
a. It compares wind to wheat.
b. It shows the difference between wheat and a flower that wilts.
c. It imitates the whirring sound of the wind. <---
d. It creates a sense of being stuck in a box.
C is probably the best among these choices, although I truly don't get the reference to sound here until the next line.
it imitates the whirring sound of the wind
I agree. It's the alliterative "w" sound.
Really helpful
To determine the effect of the line "the wheat waved and wilted under the wind" on the poem, we need to analyze its context and language. In this line, the author describes the movement of wheat in response to the wind. The action of "waving and wilting" suggests that the wind is strong and causes the wheat to bend and lose its vitality.
Option a, "It compares wind to wheat," does not accurately reflect the intention of the line. It simply describes the movement of the wheat under the influence of the wind, without directly comparing the two.
Option b, "It shows the difference between wheat and a flower that wilts," is incorrect because the line only focuses on the wheat and does not make any comparisons with flowers.
Option c, "It imitates the whirring sound of the wind," is not quite accurate either. The line does not explicitly mention any sound or attempt to represent the sound of the wind.
The correct answer is option d, "It creates a sense of being stuck in a box." This answer is incorrect because it does not align with the content or language employed in the line. The line primarily focuses on the effect of the wind on the wheat and does not evoke a feeling of confinement or limited space.
In conclusion, the line "the wheat waved and wilted under the wind" does not compare wind to wheat, contrast wheat and a flower, imitate the sound of the wind, or create a feeling of being stuck in a box.