Question

read the excerpt from the poem \faces in the street\ by henry lawson. answer the question that follows. the human river dwindles when tis past the hour of eight, its waves go flowing faster in the fear of being late; but slowly drag the moments, whilst beneath the dust and heat the city grinds the owners of the faces in the street— grinding body, grinding soul, yielding scarce enough to eat— oh! i sorrow for the owners of the faces in the street. in the line \the human river dwindles when tis past the hour of eight,\ how does the poet use the phrase \human river\ to create a layer of meaning? the phrase refers to a real river near the city the phrase metaphorically portrays the flow of people in the street the phrase highlights the beauty of the city the phrase emphasizes how happy the people are.

Explanation:

The poem is about people in the street. "Human river" is a metaphor comparing the flow of people to a river, especially as they move in the street environment. It has nothing to do with an actual river near the city, the beauty of the city, or the happiness of people.

Answer:

The phrase metaphorically portrays the flow of people in the street