Question

Read the poem. excerpt from "The Garden of Proserpine" by Algernon Charles Swinburne Prosperine is the Latin spelling of “Persophone,” a goddess married to Hades, the god of the underworld. According to legend, her garden of poppies would cause travelers to forget their purpose and fall into a waking sleep. Here, where the world is quiet; Here, where all trouble seems Dead winds' and spent waves' riot In doubtful dreams of dreams; I watch the green field growing For reaping folk and sowing, For harvest-time and mowing, A sleepy world of streams. I am tired of tears and laughter, And men that laugh and weep; Of what may come hereafter For men that sow to reap: I am weary of days and hours, Blown buds of barren flowers, Desires and dreams and powers And everything but sleep. Here life has death for neighbour, And far from eye or ear Wan waves and wet winds labour, Weak ships and spirits steer; They drive adrift, and whither They wot not who make thither; But no such winds blow hither, And no such things grow here.

Part A How does the imagery in the
poem’s first stanza affect its meaning? The first stanza paints a picture of the quiet and peaceful world that existed before mankind created technology and ruined it all. A.The images of “dead winds” and “spent waves,” combined with those of “the green field growing” and people “reaping” at “harvest-time,” help convey that the poem is about death and life. B. The imagery describes how the natural world will continue to grow and flourish, no matter what happens to mankind. C. Many negative words—“dead,” “spent,” “riot,” “doubtful”—establish that the poem is talking about the sadness each person experiences in life. D. The poem is saying that all life is full of sadness and any potential happiness is only a dream.
Part B How is the meaning described in Part A further expressed in the poem’s second stanza? A. The “blown buds of barren flowers” that the speaker references in this stanza symbolize how death touches all living things. B. The speaker says he is tired of people and their bad decisions, which always ruin the happy things in life. C.The speaker longs to be out in the natural world where restful sleep is possible and a new day is always dawning. D.The speaker is critical of man’s “desires and dreams and powers” and suggests that man is powerless compared to nature.

Answer 1

The answer to Part A is A: The images of “dead winds” and “spent waves,” combined with those of “the green field growing” and people “reaping” at “harvest-time,” help convey that the poem is about death and life.

The answer to Part B is also A: The “blown buds of barren flowers” that the speaker references in this stanza symbolize how death touches all living things.

Answer 2

PART A: Option A

PART B: Option A

Step-by-step explanation:

The garden of Proserpine is a poem published as a part of the compendium Poems and Ballads, work of the English poet, novelist and critic Algernon Charles Swinburne. The book’s launch occurred in 1866. This poem have twelve stanzas in which the Victorian author propose the idea of the crisis of faith; thus, we can see that all the text is negative and dark.

PART A: HOW DOES THE IMAGERY IN THE POEM’S FIRST STANZA AFFECT ITS MEANING?

The correct option is A: THE IMAGES OF “DEAD WINDS” AND “SPENT WAVES”, COMBINED WITH THOSE OF “THE GREEN FIELD GROWING” AND PEOPLE “REAPING” AT “HARVEST-TIME”; HELP CONVEY THAT THE POEM IS ABOUT DEATH AND LIFE because we can see that in the poem prosepine’s garden is a metaphor of precisely some kind of heaven when all is calmed and people is, in fact, slept.

Option B cannot be considered as the right one because the poem is not related with life and how it works; option C is also incorrect because while reading verses we can see that the poem’s mood is not negative although the negative words; finally option D is incorrect due to its inapplicability to the main poem idea.

PART B: HOW IS THE MEANING DESCRIBED IN PART A FURTHER EXPRESSED IN THE POEM’S SECOND STANZA?

The correct option is A: THE “BLOWN BUDS OF BARREN FLOWERS” THAT THE SPEAKER REFERENCES IN THIS STANZA SYMBOLIZE HOW DEATH TOUCHES ALL LIVING THINGS because it is still referring to the idea of all people is going to die and, in a metaphoric way, to rest from all the trouble they can have. In fact, “the dream” is working as a simile of a good situation in what the author can be peacefully and happily resting.

Option B cannot be considered as the right one because although he is talking about the other people’s decisions, he is not telling that they ruin all the happy things in life; option C is incorrect due to the idea of a garden is not related to nature (it is a metaphor or heaven); option D is not working because of the same reason than option C: here the idea of nature is still considered as the most important.