Which tone best fits the last two lines?
The ferry coughs twice, then settles. Behind us the town lets go of itself:
first the pier lamps, small as struck matches,
then the bakery roof my father painted
the colour of weak tea, then the long grey church.
I had meant to wave. My hand is on the rail instead,
holding something it cannot name.
A gull rides the wake as if it were hired to.
Somewhere under the slow brown water
is every sentence I did not say at the door.
first the pier lamps, small as struck matches,
then the bakery roof my father painted
the colour of weak tea, then the long grey church.
I had meant to wave. My hand is on the rail instead,
holding something it cannot name.
A gull rides the wake as if it were hired to.
Somewhere under the slow brown water
is every sentence I did not say at the door.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. Quiet regret
- Step 1: The speaker imagines unsaid sentences sunk under water. Step 2. The image is sad and restrained. Answer: quiet regret. Why not the others: there is no relief, anger or play in the lines.
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