Final answer:
In the poem 'The Oven Bird,' the phrase 'come to an end' best replaces 'cease,' expressing a natural conclusion to the bird's song. So the correct option is b.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the poem "The Oven Bird," the word 'cease' can be replaced with a word or phrase that maintains the same denotative and connotative meaning. In this context, the options given are a. discontinue, b. come to an end, c. terminate, and d. shut down. The most appropriate replacement would be b. come to an end, as it closely matches the meaning of cease in the sense of bringing something to a natural conclusion.