Which of the following best explains the significance of the extended metaphor in this sonnet?

Answer choices for the above question

A. Much like the speaker’s love, the weather in the summertime is often disappointing.

B. The speaker’s love is better than summer because summer, despite its reveries, is imperfect and finite.

C. The speaker was married on a summer day, and compares his love to the day he was married.

D. The speaker’s love is much like the summertime, because neither love nor summer can last forever.

The best answer for the significance of the extended metaphor in this sonnet is B. The speaker’s love is better than summer because summer, despite its reveries, is imperfect and finite.

Which passage from the poem best supports the answer to Question 3?

Answer choices for the above question

A. “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? / Thou art more lovely and more temperate:”

B. “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, / And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:”

C. “Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, / And often is his gold complexion dimm’d;”

D. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade / Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;”

The passage from the poem that best supports the answer to Question 3 is D. “But thy eternal summer shall not fade / Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st".

To determine the answer, we need to analyze the given options and identify the best explanation for the significance of the extended metaphor in the sonnet.

The extended metaphor in the sonnet refers to a comparison that is sustained throughout the poem. In this case, the metaphor compares the speaker's love to the season of summer.

Let's evaluate each answer choice:

A. "Much like the speaker’s love, the weather in the summertime is often disappointing."
This answer choice suggests a connection between the speaker's love and the disappointing aspects of summertime weather. However, it does not explain the overall significance of the extended metaphor.

B. "The speaker’s love is better than summer because summer, despite its reveries, is imperfect and finite."
This answer choice suggests that the speaker's love is superior to summer because it surpasses the limitations of the season, which is imperfect and finite. This explanation highlights the significance of the extended metaphor by emphasizing the superiority of the speaker's love.

C. "The speaker was married on a summer day, and compares his love to the day he was married."
This answer choice implies a connection between the speaker's love and his wedding day, suggesting that the speaker's love is compared to a specific summer day. While this connection may hold some significance, it does not explain the overall meaning of the extended metaphor.

D. "The speaker’s love is much like the summertime, because neither love nor summer can last forever."
This answer choice suggests a similarity between the fleeting nature of both love and summer. It highlights the significance of the extended metaphor by emphasizing the transient quality of both love and the season.

Upon analysis, answer choice B, "The speaker’s love is better than summer because summer, despite its reveries, is imperfect and finite," provides the best explanation for the significance of the extended metaphor in the sonnet. It emphasizes the superiority of the speaker's love over summer, which adds depth and meaning to the extended metaphor.