Question

Read this stanza from Allen Ginsberg’s "A Supermarket in California."

What thoughts I have of you tonight, Walt Whitman, for I walked down the sidestreets under the trees with a headache self-conscious looking at the full moon.

Which statement best describes the scene in the first stanza of Ginsberg’s poem?
The speaker is hastily making his way to the local supermarket to meet up with an old friend.
The speaker is busy gazing at the full moon when he bumps into a former acquaintance.
The speaker is taking a lonely stroll at night while reflecting on the words of a favorite poet.
The speaker is eager to return to the safety of his home and read poems by Walt Whitman.

Answer 1

The third statement. The speaker describes a solitary nighttime walk ("walked down the sidestreets under the trees") while thinking of Walt Whitman and reflecting inwardly ("What thoughts I have of you tonight... self-conscious looking at the full moon").