Question

Read this excerpt from Diane Di Prima’s poem "Buddhist New Year Song."
I could see the planet from which we had come

I could not remember (then) what our purpose was
but remembered the name Mahakala, in the dawn

in the dawn confronted Shiva, the cold light
revealed the “mindborn” worlds

These allusions connect to the title of the poem by
reinforcing that the New Year is built from the end of the old.
indicating that the New Year happens in “cold” light.
explaining how each New Year is like a new planet.
establishing that spirituality will be important in the New Year.

Answer 1

reinforcing that the New Year is built from the end of the old.

Explanation: Mahakala and Shiva are figures associated with time, destruction, and renewal; the dawn/cold light imagery suggests a new beginning that follows an ending, linking the poem’s spiritual allusions to the cyclical idea of a New Year arising from what has ended.