Question

the following text is from paul laurence dunbar’s 1913 poem “the poet and his song”
a song is but a little thing,
and yet what joy it is to sing!
in hours of toil it gives me zest,
and when at eve i long for rest;
when cows come home along the bars,
and in the fold i hear the bell,
as night, the shepherd, herds his stars,
i sing my song, and all is well.
17 which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
a to convey how engaging in song makes the speaker feel
b to compare the speaker to a singing shepherd
c to portray the speaker’s excitement about farming
d to describe the pieces of music the speaker enjoys hearing

Explanation:

The poem opens by noting a song is "a little thing" but emphasizes the joy it brings: it gives zest during toil, comfort when longing for rest, and a sense of wholeness at the end of the day. The shepherd is a passing image, not a comparison, farming is the setting not the focus, and the text centers on the speaker's own singing, not music they hear. The core is conveying how singing lifts the speaker's mood.

Answer:

A. To convey how engaging in song makes the speaker feel