Two excerpts are taken from a short story.

Excerpt A: "The rain hammered the tin roof, each drop a relentless drumbeat that echoed the hollow ache in his chest."

Excerpt B: "When the first golden ray slipped through the clouds, the world seemed to inhale, and his heart lifted with the light."

(a) State the dominant mood in each excerpt.
(b) Explain how the mood shifts from Excerpt A to Excerpt B, citing specific textual features.
(c) Identify one literary technique that primarily drives this shift.

Question

Two excerpts are taken from a short story.

Excerpt A: "The rain hammered the tin roof, each drop a relentless drumbeat that echoed the hollow ache in his chest."

Excerpt B: "When the first golden ray slipped through the clouds, the world seemed to inhale, and his heart lifted with the light."

(a) State the dominant mood in each excerpt.
(b) Explain how the mood shifts from Excerpt A to Excerpt B, citing specific textual features.
(c) Identify one literary technique that primarily drives this shift.

Accepted Answer

Excerpt A: bleak/foreboding mood; Excerpt B: hopeful/joyful mood. The mood shifts from despair to optimism through a change in imagery and diction, especially the move from harsh rain imagery to warm sunrise imagery.

Neco 2017 Literature In English Question 57

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