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Question

Difficulty: MediumTone, Mood, and Persona

Read the poetic excerpt below and answer the question that follows:

"Count not the gold that fills the merchant’s chest,
Nor praise the marble where the tyrants rest;
For iron rusts, and gilded crowns decay,
And silent dust consumes their proud display."

What is the prevailing tone of the speaker in the lines above?

  1. Didactic and contemptuousAnswer
  2. B
    A gloomy feeling of despair and horror
  3. C
    The biographical poet's personal regret over poverty
  4. D
    Reverent and awestruck

Answer

Didactic and contemptuous
The correct option is 'Didactic and contemptuous' because the speaker uses instructive language ('Count not', 'Nor praise') to convey a moral lesson while expressing scorn toward material wealth and political power by emphasizing their inevitable decay.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the speaker's stance and diction toward the subject matter.
The imperatives 'Count not' and 'Nor praise' show an instructive (didactic) stance aimed at teaching a moral lesson.
Tone is defined as the speaker's attitude toward the subject.
2
Evaluate the imagery and choice of words describing wealth and power.
Phrases like 'iron rusts', 'crowns decay', and 'silent dust consumes' dismiss earthly power as temporary and meaningless, establishing a contemptuous tone.
Diction and imagery objectively justify the specific emotional stance of the speaker.

Key Concept

Tone, Mood, and Persona in Poetry
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Topics

Tone, Mood, and Persona

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