Question

edwin arlington robinson
the millers wife had waited long,
the tea was cold, the fire was dead;
and there might yet be nothing wrong
in how he went and what he said.
there are no millers any more,
was all that she had heard him say;
and he had lingered at the door
so long that it seemed yesterday.

line 9 functions primarily to
9 sick with a fear that had no form
she knew that she was there at last; 10
and in the mill there was a warm
and mealy fragrance of the past.
what else there was would only seem
to say again what he had meant;
and what was hanging from a beam 15
would not have heeded where she went.

if she thought it followed her,
she may have reasoned in the dark
that one way of the few there were
would hide her and would leave no mark: 20
black water, smooth above the weir
like starry velvet in the night,
though ruffled once, would soon appear

Explanation:

The line "Sick with a fear that had no form" describes the wife's emotional state. The word "sick" implies discomfort, and "fear that had no form" indicates uncertainty. Option A is incorrect as it's about the wife, not the miller. Option C's "impatience" isn't supported by the text. Option D's comparison isn't present.

Answer:

B. emphasize the wife's discomfort and uncertainty.