Final answer:
In Thomas Hardy's poem, as the ship grew, the intangible tragedy also grew in the 'shadowy silent distance,' symbolizing the inevitable fate of the Titanic.
Step-by-step explanation:
In "The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy, as the "smart ship grew" in stature and grandeur, preparing for its fateful voyage, something else also grew in "the shadowy silent distance."
This growing presence was not something tangible like an iceberg, nor was it something mythical like mermaids, nor was it a natural phenomenon like waves.
Rather, it was the intangible yet aforedestined tragedy that grew as the counterpart to the ship's construction, embodying the irony and inevitability of the Titanic's fate. Therefore, the correct answer to the question of what else grew as the smart ship grew is (c) tragedy.
In "The Convergence of the Twain," the growth in the "shadowy silent distance" is represented by the iceberg. The poem describes the Titanic sinking and the subsequent growth of the iceberg as it moves closer to the ship.
The growth of the iceberg symbolizes the tragedy that was about to unfold.