Farmer "paints" the first line of the text, "fair phyllis i saw sitting all alone," through the musical use of

The correct answer is monophony.
"Fair Phyllis" is a vocal musical composition by the English composer John Farmer. The music of this composition is in general polyphonic, but the composer used the technique called word painting. According to this technique, the literal meaning of the words is reflected in the musical composition. In "Fair Phyllis" the first line of the text refers to the image of Phyllis sitting alone. In order to properly depict the loneliness of the character, the composition at that point is monophonic, with only the soprano singing.