In the poem 'Everyone Sang' what comparison does the poet Siegfried Sassoon, make in the first stanza ?

Question

Accepted Answer

In the poem "Everyone Sang" by Siegfried Sassoon, the poet makes a poignant comparison in the first stanza that captures the essence of joy and liberation. The correct answer, as given, is Option 2: "The poet compares the feeling of delight experienced by the people to the joy of freedom felt by the birds who are released from the prison."

1. **Explanation for Option 2:**
   - In the first stanza, Sassoon vividly describes a collective outburst of singing that evokes a profound sense of relief and happiness. This singing is likened to the joy experienced by birds that have been set free from captivity. The metaphor of birds being released from a prison symbolizes a newfound freedom and an overwhelming sense of liberation. This comparison effectively conveys the intensity of the delight and the emotional release felt by the people, akin to the unrestrained joy of birds soaring into the open sky after being confined.

2. **Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**
   - **Option 1:** "The poet compares everyone singing to the cackling of the geese."
     - This option is incorrect because the poem does not mention geese or use them as a metaphor for the singing. The imagery of cackling geese would suggest a more chaotic or less harmonious sound, which does not align with the uplifting and harmonious nature of the singing described in the poem.
   
   - **Option 3:** "The poet compares the delight to the beauty of the setting sun."
     - This option is incorrect as the poem does not draw a parallel between the delight of singing and the setting sun. While the setting sun is often used in literature to symbolize beauty or the end of a day, Sassoon's focus in the first stanza is on the theme of liberation and freedom, not on the aesthetic beauty of nature.
   
   - **Option 4:** "The poet compares the people to singing birds returning home to their chicks."
     - This option is incorrect because the poem does not depict people as birds returning to their chicks. The imagery of birds returning home suggests a sense of comfort and routine, whereas the poem emphasizes an extraordinary moment of release and joy, akin to birds being freed from captivity.

In conclusion, Option 2 is the correct answer because it accurately captures the metaphor used by Sassoon to convey the profound sense of freedom and joy experienced by the people, paralleling it with the liberation of birds from imprisonment.