TO A DAUGHTER LEAVING HOME by Linda Pastan When I taught you
at eight to ride
a bicycle, loping along
beside you
as you wobbled away
on two round wheels,
my own mouth rounding
in surprise when you pulled
ahead down the curved
path of the park,
I kept waiting
for the thud
of your crash as I
sprinted to catch up,
while you grew
smaller, more breakable
with distance,
pumping, pumping
for your life, screaming
with laughter,
the hair flapping
behind you like a
handkerchief waving
goodbye.
PART A: How does the narrator’s point of view most influence how the events are described in the poem?
A
It emphasizes that the mother is nervous as her daughter develops independence.
B
It allows the narrator to reflect on her own experiences of growing up.
C
It reveals the daughter’s experiences of growing up.
D
It shows that the narrator wants to watch her daughter do new things.