Question

Language Development: Conventions and Style

Identify the choice that best answers the question.

The following question has two parts. Answer Part A first, and then Part B.

Part A
Read the following poem. What is the best statement of a possible theme in the poem?

The Dolphin

I watch her swim in circles, that sleek one.
Trapped by clear walls, no race to be won.
She glides like soft silk through her glass home,
Free to circle round and round—but not to roam.
5 I’m left to wonder if she longs for waves,
If buckets of fish are not all she craves.
I think of her truly free, and how it would be
To watch her leap waves in the sparkling sea.
A. Wild creatures are miserable in captivity.
B. Freedom means imagining how things could be.
C. Humans and animals are similar.
D. Comfort is better than freedom.
Part B
How does the poet’s word choice most clearly help convey the theme identified in Part A?
A. The smoothness of silk, glass, and sparkling sea suggest the importance of peaceful acceptance.
B. The idea of buckets of fish emphasizes the fact that human beings can help satisfy the dolphin’s needs.
C. Words such as trapped, walls, and circle round and round emphasize the cruelty of the dolphin’s captivity.
D. Words such as roam and leap contrast with trapped and circle and emphasize the power of the imagination to picture freedom.

Answer 1

The best statement of a possible theme in the poem 'The Dolphin' is 'Wild creatures are miserable in captivity,' and the poet's word choice, contrasting terms of confinement with those of freedom, supports this theme.

Step-by-step explanation:

Part A of the question asks for the best statement of a possible theme in the poem 'The Dolphin.' Given the context of the poem that discusses captivity and a longing for freedom, Option A, 'Wild creatures are miserable in captivity', seems the most plausible. The dolphin is described as trapped and confined, which implies misery in captivity. For Part B, regarding how the poet's word choice helps convey the theme identified in Part A, the answer is Option D. Words such as 'trapped', 'circle round and round', and 'not to roam' create a stark contrast to words like 'roam' and 'leap', which evoke images of freedom. This contrast highlights both the captivity of the dolphin and the yearning for a different, freer existence.

Answer 2

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate answer for Part A is
A. The theme identified in Part A is "Wild creatures are miserable in captivity."

The most appropriate answer for Part B is
C. Words such as trapped, walls, and circle round and round emphasize the cruelty of the dolphin’s captivity.