Question

choose the poem that uses assonance.
the earth is motionless
and poised in space...
a huge bird resting in its flight
between the alleys of the stars.

if this is peace, this dead and leaden thing,
then better far the hateful fret, the sting.
better the wound forever seeking balm
than this gray calm!

adapted from lola ridge, \interim\ and from jessie redmon fauset, \dead fire

Explanation:

Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words. In the second poem, we can see assonance in words like "dead", "leaden", "hateful", "fret", "sting", "wound", "seeking", "balm", "gray", "calm". The vowel sounds are repeated which is characteristic of assonance. In the first poem, there is no such prominent repetition of vowel sounds.

Answer:

The second poem (If this is peace, this dead and leaden thing, Then better far the hateful fret, the sting. Better the wound forever seeking balm Than this gray calm!) uses assonance.