Question

On wasted time by shannon stephan i've lost years— hidden them in a box like a beautiful ballerina spinning on perfectly pointed toes, shackled and stationary, married to the monotonous music that trills when i turn the tiny knob. like letters folded into triangles, like trinkets and spare change, like keys that have no hole or home, and anything else i thought i might use someday. using the figurative language in this poem, identify the mood the author intends the reader to feel?

Option 1: comforted
Option 2: exalted
Option 3: joyful
Option 4: trapped

Answer 1

The mood intended by Shannon Stephan in the poem is one of feeling 'trapped,' as illustrated by the imagery of confinement and unused potential.

Step-by-step explanation:

Using the figurative language in the poem 'On Wasted Time' by Shannon Stephan, the author intends for the reader to feel trapped. The imagery of a beautiful ballerina that is 'shackled and stationary' and a comparison to items that are unused and neglected, such as 'letters folded into triangles,' 'trinkets and spare change,' and 'keys that have no hole or home,' evoke a sense of confinement and unused potential.

This notion is reinforced by the phrase 'married to the monotonous music,' implying an inescapable and repetitive existence. Therefore, the mood the author intends to convey is one of being trapped, which aligns with Option 4.