Question

Part A

Read the following poem. What is the best statement of a possible theme in the poem?

The Dolphin

I watch her swim in circles, that sleek one.
Trapped by clear walls, no race to be won.
She glides like soft silk through her glass home,
Free to circle round and round—but not to roam.
5 I’m left to wonder if she longs for waves,
If buckets of fish are not all she craves.
I think of her truly free, and how it would be
To watch her leap waves in the sparkling sea.
A. Wild creatures are miserable in captivity.
B. Freedom means imagining how things could be.
C. Humans and animals are similar.
D. Comfort is better than freedom.
Part B
How does the poet’s word choice most clearly help convey the theme identified in Part A?
A. The smoothness of silk, glass, and sparkling sea suggest the importance of peaceful acceptance.
B. The idea of buckets of fish emphasizes the fact that human beings can help satisfy the dolphin’s needs.
C. Words such as trapped, walls, and circle round and round emphasize the cruelty of the dolphin’s captivity.
D. Words such as roam and leap contrast with trapped and circle and emphasize the power of the imagination to picture freedom.

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

a

Answer 2

The poem 'The Dolphin' suggests that Option A. wild creatures are miserable in captivity and highlights the importance of imagining freedom. The word choice in the poem emphasizes the cruelty of the dolphin's captivity and the power of the imagination to picture freedom. The correct answer to the part B is D. Words such as roam and leap contrast with trapped and circle and emphasize the power of the imagination to picture freedom.

Step-by-step explanation:

The best statement of a possible theme in the poem 'The Dolphin' is option A: Wild creatures are miserable in captivity. The poem describes the dolphin swimming in circles, trapped in clear walls, unable to roam freely. This suggests that wild creatures are unhappy when confined. The poem also raises the question of whether the dolphin longs for freedom and a life in the sparkling sea. This theme is supported by the word choice in the poem.

The poet's word choice in 'The Dolphin' most clearly helps convey the theme identified in Part A through option D: Words such as roam and leap contrast with trapped and circle and emphasize the power of the imagination to picture freedom. By contrasting the confinement of the dolphin with the imagery of freedom, the poem highlights the importance of imagining a life outside of captivity. The words trapped, walls, and circle round and round emphasize the cruelty of the dolphin's captivity, further reinforcing the theme of wild creatures being miserable in captivity.