Which stanza best illustrates the reversal of expectations about bravery, and what literary technique is employed?
Answer
The stanza where the dog barks loudly and Custard cries for a safe cage; technique: irony.
The correct answer is The stanza where the dog barks loudly and Custard cries for a safe cage; technique: irony. — Match the description with the correct option.
Step-by-step solution
- Read each stanza and note the pets’ reactions to the pirate.
- Find the stanza in which the pet expected to be brave (the dog) acts boldly while the supposed hero (Custard) shows fear.
- Recognize that this opposite outcome is an example of irony.
- Match the description with the correct option.
Common mistake: Selecting the cat’s boasting stanza and labeling it as irony, confusing boasting with the reversal of bravery.
Concept tested: Theme and irony
Published · How this solution was prepared and checked
Related questions
- 1 Write a short paragraph (80‑100 words) explaining how the poet uses humor to contrast the pets' attitudes toward danger.
- 2 In Ogden Nash's poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon", which pet declares “I can roar like a lion” when the pirate appears?
- 3 Define the word ‘brag’ as used in the poem and give the exact line where a pet uses it.
- 4 In Ogden Nash's poem "The Tale of Custard the Dragon", which pet claims to be the bravest?
- 5 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' presents a humorous contrast between boasting and actual bravery. Elaborate on this theme with reference to the characters in the poem.
- 6 What does the word 'bragging' mean in the context of the poem, and which pet uses it?