Question

the following text is from charlotte mew’s 1916 poem the farmer’s bride.

three summers since i chose a maid,
too young maybe—but more’s to do
at harvest - time than bide and woo.
when us was wed she turned afraid
of love and me and all things human;
like the shut of a winter’s day
her smile went out, and ’t wadn’t woman—
more like a little frightened fay.
one night, in the fall, she runned away;

out ’mong the sheep, her be, they said,
‘should properly have been abed;
but sure enough she wadn’t there
lying awake with her wide brown stare.

6 mark for review
which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
a it presents a speaker’s account of his hasty marriage, describes his bride’s fearful transformation, and then recounts her flight.
b it presents a speaker’s regret over his treatment of his bride, explains why she grew distant, and then describes his attempts to reconcile.
c it introduces a speaker’s criticism of rural marriage customs, illustrates their harmful effects, and then advocates for change.
d it describes a speaker’s affection for his young bride, contrasts her early happiness with her later sorrow, and then reveals the cause of her unhappiness.

Explanation:

• Analyze Option A: The first part "Three summers since I chose a maid...At harvest - time than bide and woo" shows a hasty marriage (chose a young maid, more to do at harvest than court). Then "When us was wed she turned afraid...More like a little frightened fay" describes her fearful transformation. Finally "One night, in the Fall, she runned away" recounts her flight. This matches the structure of the poem.
• Analyze Option B: The poem has no indication of the speaker's regret or attempts to reconcile. The speaker just tells the story of the marriage and the bride's flight. So B is incorrect.
• Analyze Option C: The poem is not a criticism of rural marriage customs or an advocacy for change. It is a personal account of a marriage, so C is incorrect.
• Analyze Option D: The poem does not show the bride's early happiness. From the start, after the wedding, she was afraid and her smile went out. So D is incorrect.

Answer:

A. It presents a speaker's account of his hasty marriage, describes his bride's fearful transformation, and then recounts her flight.