Question

read the line

ise like a curse on the trembling air\
what does the use of the phrase
ise like a curse on the trembling air\ suggest?

a the poet uses hyperbole to suggest that the mother’s cry is harmless and easily ignored.

b the poet uses personification to show that the air is comforting and protective.

c the poet uses simile and imagery to convey the mother’s cry as powerful and ominous, emphasizing the horror of slavery.

d the poet uses metaphor to compare the cry to a blessing that brings peace.

Explanation:

• Option A: A curse is not harmless, so the hyperbole claim and "harmless/ignored" are wrong.
• Option B: "Trembling air" is not comforting/protective, and the phrase doesn't personify air as such.
• Option C: "Like" indicates a simile. "Rise like a curse" and "trembling air" create imagery, conveying the mother’s cry as powerful/ominous, fitting with themes of slavery’s horror.
• Option D: A curse is not a blessing, and the phrase uses "like" (simile, not metaphor) and doesn't suggest peace.

Answer:

C. The poet uses simile and imagery to convey the mother’s cry as powerful and ominous, emphasizing the horror of slavery.