Question

10.1.2 exam: wrap-up
analyze the following excerpt from the way to rainy mountain by n. scott momaday:
i do not speak kiowa, and i never understood her prayers, but there was something inherently sad in the sound, some merest hesitation upon the syllables of sorrow. she began in a high and descending pitch, exhausting her breath to silence; then again and again—and always the same intensity of effort, of something that is, and is not, like urgency in the human voice. transported so in the dancing light among the shadows of her room, she seemed beyond the reach of time.
which phrase in the passage most strongly contributes to its overall tone?
a. high and descending pitch
b. transported in the dancing light
c. always the same intensity
d. syllables of sorrow

Explanation:

The passage emphasizes sadness and sorrow through phrases like "inherently sad" and "syllables of sorrow." The phrase "syllables of sorrow" directly links the sound of the prayers to the core emotional tone of sadness, making it the strongest contributor to the overall tone. Other options describe vocal qualities or imagery but do not explicitly anchor the tone to sorrow as directly.

Answer:

D. syllables of sorrow