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Difficulty: MediumSound Devices and Euphony

Match each of the following literary excerpts with the primary sound device or acoustic phenomenon it demonstrates.

  • "The silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain"Sibilance
  • "The tide rises, the tide falls, / The twilight darkens, the curlew calls"Assonance
  • "Dry clash'd his harness in the icy caves / And barren chasms, and all to left and right"Cacophony
  • "Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows, / And the smooth stream in smoother numbers flows"Euphony

Answer

The excerpt 'The silken, sad, uncertain rustling...' corresponds to Sibilance; 'The tide rises, the tide falls...' corresponds to Assonance; 'Dry clash'd his harness...' corresponds to Cacophony; and 'Soft is the strain when Zephyr gently blows...' corresponds to Euphony.
Each excerpt exemplifies a specific auditory quality: the repeated 's' sounds form sibilance; the recurring internal long vowel sounds form assonance; the jarring, hard consonant combinations produce cacophony; and the agreeable, smooth phonetic rhythm produces euphony.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Examine the phonetic structures and acoustic patterns present in each poetic excerpt.
The first excerpt emphasizes 's' and 'sh' sounds; the second repeats the internal long 'i' vowel; the third relies on harsh, hard consonants like 'k' and 'ch'; the fourth uses smooth, flowing, and melodious phrasing.
Determining acoustic devices requires analyzing the dominant sound repetition patterns (vowels vs. consonants, soft vs. harsh).
2
Pair each excerpt with the corresponding sound device term based on literary definitions.
'Silken, sad, uncertain' pairs with Sibilance; 'tide, rises, twilight' pairs with Assonance; 'clash'd, harness, caves' pairs with Cacophony; 'smooth stream in smoother numbers' pairs with Euphony.
Directly mapping acoustic attributes to their technical literary terms establishes the correct matching relationships.

Key Concept

Sound Devices and Auditory Effects in Poetry
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Topics

Sound Devices and Euphony

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