Question

some keep the sabbath going to church —
i keep it, staying at home —
with a bobolink for a chorister —
and an orchard, for a dome —

consider the images in the excerpt. which of the five senses do the images appeal to?

hearing
sight
touch
smell

Explanation:

⚡ Using what you learned: close reading methods for poetic texts

Step 1: Analyze the imagery in the poem

The excerpt is from Emily Dickinson's poem, "Some keep the Sabbath going to Church." Let's look closely at the specific images used:

• "Bobolink for a Chorister": A bobolink is a songbird known for its loud, bubbly song. A chorister is a singer in a choir. This image evokes the sound of singing.
• "Orchard, for a Dome": An orchard is a physical, visual space of trees, and a dome is a large architectural structure. This image evokes a visual scene.

Step 2: Identify the primary sensory appeal

We need to determine which of the five senses (hearing, sight, touch, smell) is the primary appeal of these images:

• Bobolink (songbird) as a Chorister (singer): This metaphor directly replaces a human church singer with a singing bird. The primary experience of a choir singer and a songbird is auditory, appealing directly to our sense of hearing.
• Orchard as a Dome: While this is visual, the central metaphor of the stanza contrasts the sounds of a traditional church service (choir singing) with the natural sounds of the speaker's backyard (the bird singing).

Therefore, the most prominent sensory appeal of a "Bobolink for a Chorister" is the sound of music and singing, which appeals to hearing.

Answer:

hearing