Question

Read Rita Dove’s poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors," then study Frida Kahlo’s painting Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot.

This is for the woman with one black wing
perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect
among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant,
who painted herself a present—
wildflowers entwining the plaster corset
her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—
this priestess in the romance of mirrors.

Each night she lay down in pain and rose
to the celluloid butterflies of her Beloved Dead,
Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead.
And rose to her easel, the hundred dogs panting
like children along the graveled walks of the garden, Diego’s
love a skull in the circular window
of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow.

A painting titled Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot by Frida Kahlo, showing Frida posing with a dark-furred monkey and a green parrot. The multi-colored leaves of plants are in the background.

Which statements best describe differences in the style of the two works?
O The painting pays attention to details of Kahlo’s physical appearance, while the poem does not.
O The poem portrays the painter as serious, while the painting does not.
O The poem reveals details that explain Kahlo’s facial expressions, while the painting does not.
O The painting uses imagery that tells of Kahlo’s connection to nature, while the poem does not.

Answer 1

The painting by Frida Kahlo shows attention to her physical details, while Rita Dove's poem focuses on Kahlo's emotional and inner life, without describing her physical appearance.

Step-by-step explanation:

Comparing Rita Dove's poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors" and Frida Kahlo's painting Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot, we can identify differences in the styles of the two works. Unlike the painting, which focuses on the details of Kahlo's physical appearance, including her attire and the accompanying animals, the poem does not provide a visual description of her looks.

Instead, the poem elaborates on Kahlo's emotional and inner life, referencing her pain, resilience, and political beliefs. The poem and painting both depict Kahlo's connection to nature; however, the painting does this through visual imagery while the poem incorporates nature metaphors intertwined with the narrative of Kahlo's life and work.

Therefore, the statement that best describes the difference in the style of the two works is: The painting pays attention to details of Kahlo’s physical appearance, while the poem does not.