Question

Before a Painting

James Weldon Johnson

I knew not who had wrought with skill so fine
What I beheld; nor by what laws of art
He had created life and love and heart
On canvas, from mere color, curve and line. 4
Silent I stood and made no move or sign;
Not with the crowd, but reverently apart;
Nor felt the power my rooted limbs to start,
But mutely gazed upon that face divine. 8

And over me the sense of beauty fell,
As music over a raptured listener to
The deep-voiced organ breathing out a hymn;
Or as on one who kneels, his beads to tell, 12
There falls the aureate glory filtered through
The windows in some old cathedral dim.
Question

Principle: a primary truth, assumption, law or belief.

Answer 1

Read the definition of the word "principle." Then choose the sentence that uses it correctly.
Responses

A The principle at my school is going to retire this year.The principle at my school is going to retire this year.

B The principles of democracy are articulated in the Constitution.The principles of democracy are articulated in the Constitution.

C My father always tells me that I shouldn't spend the principle, only the interest.My father always tells me that I shouldn't spend the principle, only the interest.

D If you have questions about dress code, the assistant principle is the person to see.

Answer 2

The principle being explored in this poem is the appreciation of beauty. The speaker is deeply moved by a painting and is in awe of the artist's skill in bringing life and love onto the canvas. The sense of beauty that the speaker experiences is compared to the euphoria of listening to music or being in a sacred space. The poem suggests that beauty has the power to captivate and inspire, and the speaker is in reverence of this principle.

Answer 3

The sentence that uses the word "principle" correctly is:

B. The principles of democracy are articulated in the Constitution.