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Read the excerpt from "The Ballad of Reading Gaol [Jail]” by Oscar Wilde.

That night the empty corridors
Were full of forms of Fear,
And up and down the iron town
Stole feet we could not hear,
And through the bars that hide the stars
White faces seemed to peer.

How does alliteration affect the meaning of the excerpt?

It emphasizes the many things that scare the speaker.
It draws attention to how quiet and still the setting is.
It emphasizes how many people are with the speaker.
It draws attention to how sad and lonely the setting is.
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User AXMIM
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Final answer:

Alliteration in Oscar Wilde's poem emphasizes the sad and lonely setting, intensifying the mood and the speaker's sense of isolation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The use of alliteration in the excerpt from "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" by Oscar Wilde affects the meaning by drawing attention to the sad and lonely setting of the scene. Phrases like "empty corridors" and "white faces seemed to peer" contribute to the poem's atmosphere of isolation and despair, emphasizing the desolation and the emotional impact the setting has on the speaker. This literary device intensifies the mood and helps to paint a vivid picture of the environment surrounding the speaker in the poem.

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User MattjeS
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