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Read the poem below and then answer the questions that follow.

"The Debt " by Paul Laurence Dunbar

This is the debt I play
Just for one riotous day
Years of regret and grief,
Sorrow without relief.

Put it I will to the end
Until the grave, my friend,
Gives me a true release
Gives me the clasp of peace.

Slight was the thing I bought,
Small was the debt I though,
Poor was the loan at best
God! But the interest!

a)How has rhyme been achieved in this poem.

b)Describe the tone of voice that would be appropriate in the reading of this poem.

c)How does the punctuation in the second stanza influence your reading of the poem?

d)How would you say the last line of the poem?

  

Answers


Martin
a)Rhyme pay day
grief relief
end friend
release peace
bought thought
best interest

b)The tone should bring out sorrow,desperation as well as resignation .The tone is likely to be solemn or sombre or poignant.

c)
-The dash represents a significant pause, creates suspense because it is not easy to anticipate what the persona will say next.

- The comma is a short pause which gives the speaker time to catch his or her breath.

-The full stop is a final punctuation mark and in this stanza, it seems to tell us that the speaker's fate is sealed , final.There seems to be no possibility for appeal ironically, only death will bring some relief

d)
- The last line of the poem would be said to be in a voice that expresses surprise or even shock at the realizatin of the pride the person has to pay.Perhaps the voice would be raised, the eye wide open and words "God" and "Interest" articulated with a lot of emphasis.

marto answered the question on March 5, 2020 at 07:20


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