Question

hope
hope was but a timid friend—
she sat without my grated den
watching how my fate would tend
even as selfish - hearted men.

5 she was cruel in her fear.
through the bars, one dreary day,
i looked out to see her there
and she turned her face away!

10 like a false guard false watch keeping
still in strife she whispered peace;
she would sing while i was weeping,
if i listened, she would cease.

false she was, and unrelenting.
when my last joy stewed the ground
even sorrow saw repenting
these sad relics scattered round;

hope—whose whisper would have given

what effect does the poet achieve with the imagery used in lines 5 - 8?
○ hope is not willing to help her.
○ hope is purposely mean to cause uncertainty.
○ she is imprisoned by her own desperation.
○ the weather directly affects her moods.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the imagery in lines 5 - 8: "Through the bars, one dreary day, I looked out to see her there And she turned her face away!". The "bars" suggest imprisonment, and her actions (turning face away) imply her own fear/desperation causing her to be imprisoned in that state. Let's evaluate the options:

• Option 1: The poem's imagery here isn't about weather, so eliminate.
• Option 2: The "bars" and her fear - driven actions (turning away) show she's imprisoned by her own desperation. This fits.
• Option 3: There's no indication Hope means to cause uncertainty; the focus is on her fear - driven behavior, so eliminate.
• Option 4: The imagery doesn't show Hope's willingness to help, but rather her fear - based actions, so eliminate.

Answer:

B. She is imprisoned by her own desperation.