Read the poetic extract below:
'Down through the shadowed vale the river glides,
No murmur breaks the stillness of the night;
Yet beneath the calm current fiercely hides
A torrent surging toward the distant light.'
Which of the following best describes the syntactic device used in 'Yet beneath the calm current fiercely hides' and its effect on the passage?
- Syntactic inversion is employed by placing the verb before its subject, emphasizing the unexpected force hidden beneath the quiet surface.Answer
- BAssonance is created through repetitive initial consonant sounds to evoke the auditory sensation of rushing water.
- CAn oxymoron is constructed by placing directly contradictory terms side-by-side to highlight the river's dual state.
- DA dramatic shift in tone occurs from sorrowful to ecstatic, altering the reader's emotional atmosphere.
Answer
Syntactic inversion is employed by placing the verb before its subject, emphasizing the unexpected force hidden beneath the quiet surface.
The correct option accurately identifies poetic inversion (hyperbaton). In standard prose, the clause would read 'A torrent surging toward the distant light fiercely hides beneath the calm current.' By transposing the verb 'hides' ahead of its subject 'torrent', the poet manipulates syntax to suspend expectation, reinforcing the contrast between peaceful surface appearances and subsurface intensity.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Poetic Inversion (Hyperbaton) and Poetic Syntax