Question

Read the following lines from "Clearances." "So while the parish priest at her bedside Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying" The poet used the phrase "Went hammer and tongs" Most Likely To Imply That

Answer 1

In "Clearances" by Seamus Heaney, the phrase "went hammer and tongs" implies the parish priest was fervently delivering the prayers for the dying with intense effort and zeal.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poet Seamus Heaney in the poem "Clearances" uses the phrase "went hammer and tongs" to most likely imply that the parish priest was very fervent and passionate in delivering the prayers for the dying. This idiom is typically used to describe a situation where someone is engaging in an activity with intense and vigorous effort. In the context of the poem, it suggests that the priest was performing the prayers with great zeal, perhaps with a loud and forceful delivery, something which might be seen as a very committed and resolute attempt to guide the soul of the dying person towards salvation.

Answer 2

1. D

2. B

3. A

4. B

5. C

6. D

7. A

8. C