Question 13
NECO
•
2023
•
LITERATURE_IN_ENGLISH
•
objective
Read the poem below and answer the three parts that follow.
Silent streets at dusk, the lanterns sigh softly,
Shadows stretch like verses left unsaid still,
A lone gull cries, its echo a goodbye,
Waves retreat, unveiling silver thread soft,
The moon, a waning coin, watches cold still,
While memories drift on wind's wing silently,
In every breath, a story yet untold,
And night folds the world in trembling softly.
(a) Identify the dominant type of imagery used in the poem and explain its effect on the reader.
(b) State the metrical pattern of the poem.
(c) Discuss how the poet uses the identified imagery and meter to convey a sense of loss.
Answer Options
A.
The poem relies on visual imagery but its meter is iambic trimeter (six-syllable lines) and the steady beat produces a sense of excitement, not melancholy, so it does not convey loss.
Correct Answer
B.
The poem relies mainly on visual imagery—descriptions of lanterns, shadows, moon, night—that creates a melancholy atmosphere. It is written in iambic pentameter (ten‑syllable lines with an unstressed‑stressed pattern). The steady meter gives a calm, inevitable rhythm while the fading visual images of light and sound suggest things slipping away, together producing a strong sense of loss.
C.
The poem primarily uses auditory imagery (sounds of gulls, waves, and whispers) creating a lively atmosphere. It is written in trochaic tetrameter (four stressed-unstressed feet per line). The rhythmic drive emphasizes energy rather than loss.
D.
The dominant imagery is tactile, describing the feel of cold night air and smooth silver threads, and the poem is written in free verse with no regular meter. The lack of a set rhythm suggests instability rather than a feeling of loss.
Correct Answer
B
Correct Option:
The poem relies mainly on visual imagery—descriptions of lanterns, shadows, moon, night—that creates a melancholy atmosphere. It is written in iambic pentameter (ten‑syllable lines with an unstressed‑stressed pattern). The steady meter gives a calm, inevitable rhythm while the fading visual images of light and sound suggest things slipping away, together producing a strong sense of loss.
About This Question
This is
Neco
2023
Literature In English
Question 13.
It is one of the
objective
questions from the
2023
Neco
Literature In English
examination.
Difficulty level:
Hard
.