Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumLiterary Devices and Figurative Language

In the poem 'The Guitar' ('La guitarra') by the Spanish writer Federico García Lorca, the speaker describes the instrument's music:

'The weeping of the guitar begins. It is useless to quiet it. It is impossible to quiet it. It weeps monotonously as the water weeps, as the wind weeps over the snowfall. It is impossible to quiet it. It weeps for distant things.'

Which of the following best describes the primary function of the personification of the guitar in this passage?

  1. A
    It indicates that the instrument is physically damaged by moisture from the surrounding environment.
  2. It projects a sense of deep, uncontrollable human sorrow onto the instrument to emphasize the expressive power of its music.Answer
  3. C
    It demonstrates the author's critical and detached attitude toward the traditional style of Spanish music.
  4. D
    It shows that the speaker is annoyed by the musician's inability to play the instrument quietly.

Answer

It projects a sense of deep, uncontrollable human sorrow onto the instrument to emphasize the expressive power of its music.
The correct answer is correct because attributing the human action of weeping to the guitar (personification) serves to project deep, persistent emotional sorrow onto the instrument, rendering its sound as an unstoppable force of grief that is linked to natural phenomena like rain and wind.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the figurative language in the provided excerpt.
Identify that the phrase 'the weeping of the guitar' and the repetition of 'it weeps' are examples of personification, giving human qualities of mourning to a musical instrument.
To recognize the specific literary device in use before evaluating its thematic function.
2
Interpret the function of the personification in the context of the poem's mood.
The personification connects the sound of the instrument to an unstoppable expression of sadness, compared directly to natural forces like water and wind.
To connect the literary device to the emotional impact and theme of the excerpt.
3
Evaluate the options against the identified function and eliminate incorrect choices.
The correct option correctly identifies the projection of persistent human melancholy onto the instrument, while the other choices rely on literal readings, tone mismatches, and incorrect character perspectives.
To select the option that accurately reflects the analytical interpretation of the passage.

Key Concept

Function of Personification in Poetry
Rate this question

Topics

Literary Devices and Figurative Language

More questions from this topic