The reader of "The Courage That My Mother Had" can conclude that the speaker's mother has died. Which detail points to what conclusion?
A. she had great courage
B. she wore a golden brooch
C. she is now in granite hill
D. she is compared to granite
it is this poem “The Courage That My Mother Had” by Edna St.
What's your answer?
A and B are in past tense.
C is just plain nuts!
D is a symbolic possibility.
The courage that my mother had
Edna St. Vincent Millay
The courage that my mother had
Went with her, and is with her still:
Rock from New England quarried;
Now granite in a granite hill.
The golden brooch my mother wore
She left behind for me to wear;
I have no thing I treasure more:
Yet, it is something I could spare.
Oh, if instead she’d left to me
The thing she took into the grave!—
That courage like a rock, which she
Has no more need of, and I have.
To determine which detail in the poem "The Courage That My Mother Had" points to the conclusion that the speaker's mother has died, we need to examine the options provided.
A. "She had great courage" is a description of the mother's characteristic trait, but it does not explicitly indicate that she is no longer alive.
B. "She wore a golden brooch" is a detail that describes something about the mother's appearance or adornment, but it does not directly suggest that she is deceased.
C. "She is now in granite hill" is a phrase that implies the mother's final resting place. It suggests that she is buried or entombed in a location called "granite hill." This detail strongly suggests that the mother has indeed passed away.
D. "She is compared to granite" is a simile that compares the mother to granite, emphasizing her strength and stability. Although it does not explicitly state that she is deceased, it indirectly alludes to the permanence or immovability of granite, which often symbolizes a gravesite or memorial.
Based on the given options, the detail that most directly points to the conclusion that the speaker's mother has died is C. "She is now in granite hill."