Question

Read the excerpt from "Violets."

The violets and pinks are from a bunch I wore to-day... The tube-roses and orange-blossoms I wore Friday
night; you always wished for a lock of my hair, so I'll tie these flowers with them—but there, it is not stable
enough; let me wrap them with a bit of ribbon, pale blue, from that little dress I wore last winter to the dance,
when we had such a long, sweet talk in that forgotten nook.
Which statement best summarizes the implicit message in the excerpt?
O The speaker frequently accessorizes with fresh flowers.
O The speaker is sending a lock of hair to her beloved.
O The speaker is proud of her gardening abilities.
O The speaker is offering all of herself to her beloved.

Answer 1

The speaker is offering all of herself to her beloved.

Step-by-step explanation:

The given excerpt is from the short story Violets written by Alice Moore Dunbar-Nelson, an American poet, journalist, and political activist. It's a part of the letter the narrator receives from his beloved.

An implicit message is a message that isn't explicitly stated but is understood from the context. The implicit message in the given excerpt is that the speaker is offering all of herself to her beloved. She loved flowers and often wore them in her hair. She sent them to him along with a lock of her hair and a ribbon from a dress she wore during their meeting. These aren't mere items; her giving them away symbolizes her giving all of herself to him.

This is why the fourth option is the correct one. The first two options aren't correct as they don't represent an implicit message, and the third is incorrect because this passage has nothing to do with gardening.