Question

the following excerpt is from the early twentieth century epic poem, in which the author provides a reflection on the fragmentation and emptiness of modern society.
adapted from \the fire sermon\ in the wasteland
by t.s. eliot
the rivers tent is broken: the last fingers of leaf
clutch and sink into the wet bank. the wind
crosses the brown land, unheard. the nymphs are
departed.
sweet thames, run softly, till i end my song.
the river bears no empty bottles, sandwich papers,
silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes, cigarette ends
or other testimony of summer nights. the nymphs are
departed.
and their friends, the loitering heirs of city directors;
departed, have left no addresses.
by the waters of leman i sat down and wept...
sweet thames, run softly till i end my song.
sweet thames, run softly, for i speak not loud or long.
but at my back in a cold blast i hear
the rattle of the bones, and chuckle spread from ear
to ear.
\this music crept by me upon the waters\
and along the strand, up queen victoria street.
o city city, i can sometimes hear
the line \this music crept by me upon the waters\ is a quote from a mourning scene in shakespeares play the tempest.
the allusion serves to
○ a. emphasize the speakers regret at losing a way of life.
○ b. reinforce the how music has troubled the speaker.
○ c. call attention to the presence of funeral traditions in modern life.
○ d. indicate that the speaker has lost a loved one.

Explanation:

In The Tempest, the music in the mourning scene is associated with a sense of loss and a bygone era. Eliot's use of this allusion in a poem reflecting on the fragmentation of modern society likely ties the music's connotation of loss (from The Tempest) to the speaker's regret over the loss of a more harmonious, less - fragmented way of life (which is in contrast to the modern, empty society depicted in the poem).

• Option B: The text does not focus on the music "troubling" the speaker in a negative, disrupted sense but rather on its connection to loss.
• Option C: There is no indication of funeral traditions in the overall context of the poem's themes about modern society's emptiness and fragmentation.
• Option D: The allusion is more about a general loss of a way of life (as in the idyllic, perhaps pre - modern, connectedness) rather than specifically losing a loved one. The poem's broader themes support a more abstract loss (of a social fabric) rather than a personal, individual loss of a person.

Answer:

A. emphasize the speaker's regret at losing a way of life.