Question

My tongue, every atom of my blood, form'd from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. What implications do these lines of the poem have regarding the question of national identity?

A. These lines suggest that nations don't exist in nature; only people do.
B. These lines suggest that national identity might exist in nature, but isn't important.
C. These lines suggest that anyone can claim whatever national identity seems convenient at any given time.
D. These lines suggest that national identity is forged through having deep ancestral roots in a place.

Answer 1

These lines from the poem suggest that national identity is forged through having deep ancestral roots in a place. The correct answer is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

These lines from the poem express that identity is not a bureaucratic matter, is not something you ask for, but something you have because you belong to some place. You "have roots", you live and are part of that place. Identity is not something you can claim, it is something you have because is the history of your human existence.