What are the strategies which the bard uses to try and persuade the chief to be generous?
The bard uses several strategies to persuade the chief to be generous. First, he praises the chief's character, describing him as generous and "an enemy to the hunger of bards," while noting that the chief lacks pettiness to refuse those in need.
Second, the bard appeals through visible suffering by showing the chief their "ribs thin with hunger," making it difficult for the chief to ignore their plight. This physical demonstration of poverty creates moral pressure on the patron.
Third, the bard invites other poets collectively, saying "come along with me, bards whose lips are so skilled," suggesting strength in numbers. The bard also expects the chief to go to great lengths — even visiting the blacksmith to get a spear for war — indicating that the chief should acquire wealth through warfare to share with the bards.
Explanation
The answer is derived from Source 14 of the textbook, which contains a poem from the Puranaruru (Tamil Sangam literature, c. first century CE). The strategies include: (1) praising the chief's generous nature and lack of pettiness, (2) showing physical signs of hunger and poverty to evoke sympathy, (3) collective appeal by bringing other bards, and (4) the expectation that the chief would acquire resources through warfare (symbolized by the spear) to fulfill his duty of sharing wealth.