Question

1. choose the best answer.

who has the salt tears in the last line?
the childrenthe husbandthe writers parentsthe writer of the poem

1. check all that apply.

how does the sound of the iambic pentameter and rhyming couplets affect the poems meaning?
the rigid and controlled sound contrasts to the melancholy and love implied in the poem.
each couplet contains a distinctly different idea.
the abrupt sounds agree with the idea that death is final.
the pentameter make it easier to memorize.
they make it easier to comprehend the meaning.
the sounds support the tense tone and the stressful idea that the husband will suffer more than the speaker is suffering now.

Explanation:

Question 18

To determine who has the salt tears, we analyze the context (likely from a poem). Typically, in poetic contexts where "salt tears" are mentioned, the writer (poet) or speaker of the poem is expressing their own emotions. The children, husband, or writer’s parents are less likely as the focus of the poem’s last line (assuming the poem is from the writer’s perspective). So the writer of the poem is the one with salt tears.

• Option 1: Iambic pentameter (rigid, controlled rhythm) can contrast with melancholic/love themes, creating tension. Valid.
• Option 2: Rhyming couplets often link related ideas, not distinct ones. Invalid.
• Option 3: Iambic pentameter is smooth, not abrupt; death’s finality isn’t matched by abrupt sounds here. Invalid.
• Option 4: Iambic pentameter’s rhythm (repetitive, structured) makes memorization easier. Valid.
• Option 5: Rhythm and rhyme don’t directly aid comprehension of meaning (comprehension is about content, not form). Invalid.
• Option 6: If the poem has a tense tone about the husband’s suffering, the rigid rhythm can support that tension. Valid.

Answer:

the writer of the poem

Question 19