Question

Read the first stanza of "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls."

The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveller hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.

Why does the poet most likely use the words “damp and brown” to describe the sands?
to create a subdued mood within the poem
to make the poem more haunting or unsettling
to give a sense of the time of year
to evoke sadness within the reader

Answer 1

A: to create a subdued mood within the poem

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

The answer is: to evoke sadness within the reader

This stanza, as well as the whole poem, evokes a state of sadness and, perhaps, resignation to what happens in life. The author emphasizes the verse "The tide rises, the tide falls" by repeating it twice, which can be a reference to life with its "ups" and downs" or the birth and death.

By using the words "darkens" and then "damp" and "brown", the speaker is trying to create a dreary and gloomy mood within the poem.