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Which quotation from the poem supports the answer in Part A?

"And then I pressed the shell
Close to my ear," (lines 1-2)
"It was a sunless strand that never bore The footprint of a man," (lines 10-11)
"Was twilight only, and the frightened croon,
Smitten to whimpers, of the dreary wind" (lines 26-27)
*And then I loosed my ear-O, it was sweet To hear a cart go jolting down the street." (lines 29-30)

1 Answer

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The quotation from the poem that supports the answer in Part A is this: And then I loosed my ear-O, it was sweet To hear a cart go jolting down the street." (lines 29-30)

How the quotation supports the answer

In part A, we see that the poem explores the allure of finding solace in fantasy, contrasted with the inescapable burdens of everyday life. By loosening his ear from the shell, the poet reconnects with the everyday sounds of his environment.

The jolt of the cart, a mundane and insignificant noise, becomes "sweet" because it represents a return to the familiar and the living world.

This symbolizes a release from the captivating and overwhelming experience of listening to the sea's secrets within the shell.

Complete Question:

''The Shell'' by James Stephens

Part B

Which quotation from the poem supports the answer in Part A?

"And then I pressed the shell

Close to my ear," (lines 1-2)

"It was a sunless strand that never bore

The footprint of a man," (lines 10-11)

"Was twilight only, and the frightened croon,

Smitten to whimpers, of the dreary wind" (lines 26-27)

"And then I loosed my ear-O, it was sweet

To hear a cart go jolting down the street." (lines 29-30)

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