Question

1. the phrase “trees stoop and bend this way and that” is best considered: a. assonance. b. oxymoron. c. hyperbole. d. personification. 11. the primary intent of the ghostly couple is: a. to help the current house occupant understand and sympathize with their struggle. b. to remind themselves of the affection they shared inside the house. c. to help the current house occupant resolve their self - doubt. d. to prove to the narrator that they are not malevolent forces.

Explanation:

1. Personification is giving human - like qualities to non - human things. Trees are non - human, and “stoop and bend this way and that” gives them human - like actions. Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds, oxymoron is a self - contradictory term, and hyperbole is extreme exaggeration. None of these apply here.
2. Without further context, we assume the most common literary interpretation. Ghostly figures often interact with living occupants to make them understand their past struggles. There is no indication for the other options in a general literary analysis.

Answer:

1. D. Personification
2. A. To help the current house occupant understand and sympathize with their struggle.