Question

What do the following lines most likely reveal about the speaker's final destination?

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground -
The Roof was scarcely visible -
The Cornice - in the Ground -

A. She will join Death as his bride in the underworld.
B. The whole thing has been a dream.
C. The grave is very much like a kind of house.
D. Death is not to be feared but accepted.

Answer 1

The lines from the poem suggest that the final destination of the speaker is the grave, which is likened to a kind of house submerged in the earth.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lines from the poem describe a house that is not really a house but a representation of a grave, as indicated by the phrases 'A Swelling of the Ground' and 'The Cornice - in the Ground'. This suggests that the destination of the speaker's journey, alongside Death, is the grave itself. Option C, 'The grave is very much like a kind of house', most accurately captures the essence of these lines. The language used in the poem underlines the finality and the physicality of the grave, likening the speaker's ending place to a dwelling submerged into the earth. The poem does not suggest that it has all been a dream (option B), nor does it directly discuss whether death should be accepted without fear (option D), or imply that the speaker will join Death as a bride (option A).

Answer 2

The quoted lines suggest that the speaker's final destination is a grave, described metaphorically as a house that is part of the ground, indicating the burial site.

Step-by-step explanation:

The lines "We paused before a House that seemed A Swelling of the Ground - The Roof was scarcely visible - The Cornice - in the Ground" likely reveal that the speaker's final destination is a grave. The imagery of a house being part of the ground with a barely visible roof suggests a final resting place suggest below the surface, which aligns with the common representation of a grave. Among the choices provided, the most appropriate interpretation is C. The grave is very much like a kind of house. This comparison personifies the grave as a kind of dwelling, not just for the body, but perhaps for the spirit as well. Such imagery is common in poetry to convey the idea of death and burial in a more familiar and somewhat comforting way.