17 By the light that gilds their prison
18 They shall see its mouldering key;
19 And the bolts and bars shall vibrate
20 With the triumphs of the free.
Which is the best paraphrase of the fifth stanza?
A. The prison will be covered in gold. A key will unlock the gates and let people out.
B. The light that brightens the prison will reveal the decaying key. People’s cries of freedom will be so strong they will shake the jail.***
C. The key will be too decayed to work. People will have to shake the bars to set themselves free.
D. The prison is too dark for anyone to find the key. Vibrations in the jail cells will make people feel triumphant.
I believe b
I am inclined to agree with you, b.
Especially now that I see the whole thing :)
You are welcome.
full poem:
"President Lincoln’s Declaration of Emancipation, January 1, 1863"
by Frances E. W. Harper
1 It shall flash through coming ages,
2 It shall light the distant years;
3 And eyes now dim with sorrow
4 Shall be brighter through their tears.
5 It shall flush the mountain ranges,
6 And the valleys shall grow bright;
7 It shall bathe the hills in radiance,
8 And crown their brows with light.
9 It shall flood with golden splendor
10 All the huts of Caroline;
11 And the sun-kissed brow of labor
12 With lustre new shall shine.
13 It shall gild the gloomy prison,
14 Darkened by the nation's crime,
15 Where the dumb and patient millions
16 Wait the better-coming time.
17 By the light that gilds their prison
18 They shall see its mouldering key;
19 And the bolts and bars shall vibrate
20 With the triumphs of the free.
21 Though the morning seemed to linger
22 O'er the hill-tops far away,
23 Now the shadows bear the promise
24 Of the quickly coming day.
25 Soon the mists and murky shadows
26 Shall be fringed with crimson light,
27 And the glorious dawn of freedom
28 Break refulgent on the sight.
Use the poem to answer the question.