Question

in this poem by robert frost, the poet explores creativity and poetry, as well as the relationship between words and nature. the oven bird is a small song bird found in the northeastern region of the united states. its song would certainly have been a part of frosts \soundscape\ during his life.

the oven bird
by robert frost

there is a singer everyone has heard,
loud, a mid-summer and a mid-wood bird,
who makes the solid tree trunks sound again.
he says that leaves are old and that for flowers
(5) mid-summer is to spring as one to ten.
he says the early petal-fall is past
when pear and cherry bloom went down in showers
on sunny days a moment overcast;
and comes that other fall we name the fall.
(10) he says the highway dust is over all.
the bird would cease and be as other birds
but that he knows in singing not to sing.
the question that he frames in all but words
is what to make of a diminished thing.

select the correct answer.

read the excerpt from \the oven bird.\

the bird would cease and be as other birds
but that he knows in singing not to sing.
the question that he frames in all but words
is what to make of a diminished thing.

which word or phrase below could best be used to replace the word cease without changing its denotative or connotative meaning?

shut down
come to an end
terminate
discontinue

Explanation:

Analyze the context and denotation

The excerpt from "The Oven Bird" states: "The bird would cease and be as other birds." In this context, "cease" refers to the bird stopping its singing or falling silent. Denotatively, "cease" means to bring or come to an end.

Evaluate the connotations of the options

We must find a replacement that preserves both the literal meaning (denotation) and the poetic, natural feeling (connotation) of the original line:

• shut down: Highly mechanical and industrial. It does not fit the natural, poetic tone of a bird singing in the woods.
• come to an end: Natural, soft, and fits the poetic flow of the line. It captures the transition of the bird's song stopping without harsh or mechanical overtones.
• terminate: Very formal, legalistic, or technical. It sounds unnatural when applied to a bird's song in a poem.
• discontinue: Business-like or administrative. It lacks the poetic quality required for the context of the poem.

Apply mastered concepts

Using Context Clues and Connotation, we see that "come to an end" is the only option that maintains the gentle, natural imagery of the poem while preserving the denotative meaning of stopping.

Answer:

• shut down
• come to an end (Correct answer)
• terminate
• discontinue