Question

Read the passage from the poem Can't by Edgar Guest.

Can't is the father of feeble endeavor,
The parent of terror and half hearted work...
Which best analyzes the effect of the metaphor in the passage?
It helps the reader understand the relationship between self-doubt and failure.
It helps the reader understand the origins, or history, of the word can't.
It helps the reader understand that parents are more likely to use the word than their children.
It helps the reader understand how frightening the word is.

Answer 1

Answer: the right answer is...

It helps the reader understand the relationship between self-doubt and failure.

Answer 2

The answer is: it helps the reader understand how frightening the word is.

In the excerpt from the poem "Can't," by Edgar Albert Guest, the author makes reference to the terror of the word "can't." He describes it as the creator of weak effort, intense fear and unenthusiastic work. In the other lines, Guest claims that "can't is the worst word that's written or spoken," and depicts it as harmful for the soul, since it takes away people's courage, hopes and dreams.