Read the extract below from D. H. Lawrence's prescribed poem 'Piano':
'Softly, in the dusk, a woman is singing to me;
Taking me back down the vista of years, till I see
A child sitting under the piano, in the boom of the tingling strings
And pressing the small, poised feet of a mother who smiles as she sings.'
Which of the following best describes the speaker's emotional state in this extract?
- Nostalgic yearning induced by the auditory trigger of a songAnswer
- BResentment toward the singer for interrupting his present solitude
- CA literal observation of a young child currently playing under a piano
- DPride in the poet's own professional training as an adult pianist
Answer
The speaker experiences a nostalgic yearning induced by the auditory trigger of a song, as the woman's singing transports him back to tender childhood memories.
The correct answer highlights how the sound of the woman's voice transports the speaker back into his childhood memories. The phrase 'taking me back down the vista of years' directly supports the theme of memory and nostalgia.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Thematic analysis of nostalgia and memory triggers in non-African poetry