Question

Read the passage. excerpt from "The Masque of the Red Death" by Edgar Allan Poe There was a sharp cry—and the dagger dropped gleaming upon the sable carpet, upon which, instantly afterwards, fell prostrate in death the Prince Prospero. Then, summoning the wild courage of despair, a throng of the revellers at once threw themselves into the black apartment, and, seizing the mummer, whose tall figure stood erect and motionless within the shadow of the ebony clock, gasped in unutterable horror at finding the grave-cerements and corpse-like mask which they handled with so violent a rudeness, untenanted by any tangible form. Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story. Which statement best explains how word choice affects the tone of this passage?
1) By describing the tall figure, the passage creates a sense of terror and despair.

2) By describing a wild chase, the passage creates an exciting and thrilling tone.

3) Words like wild courage create a bold tone that reflects the attitude of the Prince.

4) Phrases like “sharp cry” and “threw themselves” create an energized tone.

Answer 1

To answer this question, we can use process of elimination to determine which answer is best. Starting with choice 1, consider if there is much description of the tall figure to create a sense of terror. Since there is only a brief mention of the tall figure in the excerpt, it is safe to say this is probably not the best answer.

Answer 2 seems a bit more likely because by describing the chase, a thrilling tone and suspense is created, like the answer implies. This answer can stay in the running.

Answer 3 seems improbable since it is the prince that has died in this excerpt--we're told this in the first sentence.

Answer 4, much like the second answer, is a good choice because the language used in the excerpt does do a good job of creating an energized tone. 

However, when we look at the overall story itself, we see that the story is not an energetic one, but a terrifying one that excites and thrills as you read through it. Because of this, answer 2 is your best choice here.

Answer 2

Answer:

Number 2 is the correct answer.

Explanation:

The Masque of the Red Dead is a short story by American author Edgar Allan Poe. It is the story of Prince Prospero and 1000 people who are trying to scape from the plague by locking themselves in an abbey.

In general, due to the theme (the constant idea of death and the mortal disease), the story has an exciting and thrilling tone in general. In the excerpt, this can be seen through the repetition of some sounds such as "p" or "t" (throng, threw, themselves, tangible, carpet, upon, etcetera) and how they create turbulent sentences to support this idea.