Question

Read the stanza from "Sonnet in Primary Colors” by Rita Dove.

This is for the woman with one black wing
perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect
among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant,
who painted herself a present—
wildflowers entwining the plaster corset
her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—
this priestess in the romance of mirrors.

Read the underlined phrase. What is the most likely reason the poet includes this metaphor?

to tell about the way that Frida’s hair moves
to indicate that Frida has a keen sense of sight
to describe a prominent feature of Frida’s face
to suggest that Frida has birdlike qualities

Answer 1

to suggest that Frida has birdlike qualities

Brief explanation: the image of "one black wing perched over her eyes" is a metaphor comparing part of Frida’s appearance to a wing, implying avian or birdlike characteristics rather than literal hair movement, vision, or a facial feature description.