Musicians Wrestle Everywhere
Emily Dickinson
MUSICIANS wrestle everywhere:
All day, among the crowded air,
I hear the silver strife;
And—waking long before the dawn—
Such transport breaks upon the town5
I think it that “new life!"
It is not bird, it has no nest;
Nor band, in brass and scarlet dressed,
Nor tambourine, nor man;
It is not hymn from pulpit read,10
The morning stars the treble led
On time’s first afternoon!
Some say it is the spheres at play!
Some say that bright majority
Of vanished dames and men!15
Some think it service in the place
Where we, with late, celestial face,
Please God, shall ascertain!
Which definition of transport BEST applies to its use in line 5 of the first stanza?
Responses
A banishmentbanishment
B bliss or joybliss or joy
C carrying or movingcarrying or moving
D a means of transportation: bus, train, shipa means of transportation: bus, train, ship
B bliss or joy
Based on the context of the poem, the definition of transport that best applies to its use in line 5 of the first stanza is B) bliss or joy.
To determine the best definition of "transport" as used in line 5 of the first stanza, let's analyze the context of the poem. In the previous lines, the speaker describes hearing musicians throughout the day and experiencing a sense of "silver strife." Then, in line 5, the speaker mentions that such transport "breaks upon the town."
Based on this context, the best definition of "transport" in this line is option B: bliss or joy. The word "transport" here refers to a feeling of intense joy or euphoria that overwhelms the town and the speaker. This interpretation aligns with the overall theme of the poem, which explores the transcendental power of music and its ability to create a sense of ecstasy and renewal.