Question

all that summer
raised our banner,
gave the battle cry —
would spy
friends of night
now sigh.
what is most likely to be the author’s intended use of slant rhyme in this excerpt?
a. for the reader to continually anticipate the next line in the poem
b. for the reader to feel tension between the first and second rhyming pairs
c. for the reader to read the poem out loud rather than silently
d. for the reader to look at and think carefully about the word choice

Explanation:

Slant rhyme (near rhyme) uses words with similar but not identical sounds, which draws attention to the specific word choices because the rhyme is not predictable or perfect. This encourages readers to focus on the meaning and intent behind the words. Option A relates to perfect rhyme's forward momentum, option B is not supported as there's no tension framed between the pairs, and option C is not a core intent of slant rhyme.

Answer:

D. For the reader to look at and think carefully about the word choice