Question

Read these lines from Emily Dickinson’s poem “A Bird came down the Walk.”

Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home—

Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam—
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.

Which line in the poem includes an example of alliteration?

Answer 1

Answer and Explanation:

. “Too silver for a seam” has the repeated /s/ sound that improves the poem’s flow.

Answer 2

Answer and Explanation:

An alliteration is the repetition of sounds or letters at the beginning of words that are close to each other in a structure. I believe there are two lines in which alliteration can be found in the excerpt provided:

Too silver for a seam—

Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon

In the first line, there is the repetition of the /s/ sound, while in the second one, of the /b/ sound. The words are in quick succession, close to each other, which makes the repetition even more noticeable.

NOTE: I was unable to find this question online to see what the options are. In case you should only choose one line, pick the second one - butterflies / banks.