Question

Review the line from "Spring and Fall."

the blight man was born for

Which best identifies and interprets the poetic device in this line?



A: it is a refrain; it is repeated in the poem to emphasize the endless nature of man's suffering

B: it is a simile; it means that men deserve to struggle due to their sinful nature

C: it is an allusion; it implies that mankind has been doomed to suffer since the fall of Adam and Eve

D: it is an image; it is used to show that men are more likely to suffer than women

Answer 1

As accom stated, it was an allusion.

Answer 2

The correct answer is C.

The phrase "the blight man was born for" is an illusion to human eternal suffering.

In the poem, Margaret is crying, and the speaker tells her that sadness and suffering are normal feelings for humans. He explains that, as she grows older, she may not feel so affected by death, but that mankind has been doomed to suffer.