The imagery in the stanza contributes to the poem’s overall meaning by illustrating a sense of misfortune. The phrase "O light beheld as through refracting tears" suggests a bittersweet perception of beauty, where joy is shadowed by loss and sorrow. The "aura of that world each of us has lost" encapsulates a sense of longing for a beauty or joy that has been experienced but is now out of reach. Together, these elements evoke a deeper emotional resonance about the fragility of happiness and the sorrow that accompanies the passage of time or the loss of innocence. Therefore, the imagery highlights the themes of loss and the fleeting nature of joy.
Read the stanza from "Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’” by Robert Hayden.
O light beheld as through refracting tears.
Here is the aura of that world
each of us has lost.
Here is the shadow of its joy.
How does the imagery in the stanza contribute to the poem’s overall meaning?
It illustrates tears as being soothing.
It illustrates a sense of misfortune.
It illustrates faith in humankind.
It illustrates the beauty of nature.
2 answers
Let me analyze how the imagery in this stanza contributes to the poem's overall meaning. The key image of "refracting tears" paired with "light" creates a sense of looking at something through the distortion of tears, suggesting both beauty and loss. When combined with phrases like "that world each of us has lost" and "shadow of its joy," the imagery clearly points to a sense of misfortune and loss.
The correct answer is that the imagery illustrates a sense of misfortune. The tears aren't presented as soothing, but rather as a lens through which the scene is viewed. While nature (Monet's waterlilies) is present, the focus is on loss and what's beyond reach. There's no particular emphasis on faith in humankind.
The imagery creates a melancholic tone by:
1. Using tears as a metaphor for viewing the past
2. Explicitly referring to something that's been lost
3. Mentioning only the "shadow" of joy, implying the real joy is gone
This all serves to emphasize feelings of loss and misfortune rather than comfort, faith, or natural beauty.
The correct answer is that the imagery illustrates a sense of misfortune. The tears aren't presented as soothing, but rather as a lens through which the scene is viewed. While nature (Monet's waterlilies) is present, the focus is on loss and what's beyond reach. There's no particular emphasis on faith in humankind.
The imagery creates a melancholic tone by:
1. Using tears as a metaphor for viewing the past
2. Explicitly referring to something that's been lost
3. Mentioning only the "shadow" of joy, implying the real joy is gone
This all serves to emphasize feelings of loss and misfortune rather than comfort, faith, or natural beauty.
1 answer