Question

26
mosiain, syed
“when the young men touched the harp-strings,
then arose the notes of discord;
when the aged played upon it,
dissonance their only music.” (lines 19–22)
the word “dissonance” comes from the latin word for “disagreeing in sound.”
what is the meaning of dissonance as it is used in the poem?
a angry noise
b inaudible tune
c lack of harmony
d amateur melody

left-side poem excerpt (partial):
thereupon wise wainamoinen
set himself at work designing;
quick became a fish-bone artist,
made a harp of wondrous beauty,
lasting joy and pride of suomi. . . .
all the young men came to view it,
all the aged with their children,
mothers with their beauteous daughters,
maidens with their golden tresses;
all the people on the islands
came to view the harp of joyance,
pride and beauty of the northland.

wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,¹
let the aged try the harp-strings,
gave it to the young magicians,
to the dames and to their daughters.

Explanation:

To determine the meaning of "dissonance" in the poem, we analyze the context and the Latin root. The Latin meaning is "disagreeing in sound". In the poem, when young men and aged play the harp, the music is described with "dissonance". "Lack of harmony" aligns with "disagreeing in sound" as harmony is agreement in sound. "Angry noise" is too emotional, "inaudible tune" means can't be heard (not related to sound agreement), and "amateur melody" refers to skill level, not sound quality. So the correct option is C.

Answer:

C. lack of harmony