Read the following lines from "Clearances."

"So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying"

The poet used the phrase "went hammer and tongs" most likely to imply that

(1 point)
Responses

he is beating his Bible while reading to the mother.
he is beating his Bible while reading to the mother.

he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.
he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.

the son does not agree with the priest's religious views of death.
the son does not agree with the priest's religious views of death.

the mother is slipping away and takes comfort in prayers from her fam

Read the following lines from "Clearances."

"So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying"

The poet used the phrase "went hammer and tongs" most likely to imply that

(1 point)
Responses

he is beating his Bible while reading to the mother.
he is beating his Bible while reading to the mother.

he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.
he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.

the son does not agree with the priest's religious views of death.
the son does not agree with the priest's religious views of death.

the mother is slipping away and takes comfort in prayers from her fam

The correct answer is:

he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.

The correct answer is:

he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.

To understand the meaning of the phrase "went hammer and tongs" in this context, we can break it down and analyze its components.

The phrase "went hammer and tongs" is an idiomatic expression that means to do something with great energy, enthusiasm, or force. It often implies a sense of vigor and intensity in the action being described.

In the given lines from the poem "Clearances," the poet describes the parish priest praying for the dying person at her bedside. By using the phrase "went hammer and tongs" to describe the priest's actions, the poet suggests that the priest is speaking the prayers loudly and with great forcefulness.

Therefore, the correct answer would be:
- he is speaking the words loudly and with great forcefulness.