Question

I move
Perhaps I have wakened
This is a bed
This is a room
5 And there is light . . .

Darkness!

Have I performed
The dozen acts or so
That make me the man
10 Men see?

The door opens,
And on the landing
Quiet
I see nothing but the blinding pain
15 The ceaseless weariness!

Stairs, banisters, a handrail,
All indistinguishable from one another
One step farther down or up
But up is harder
20 And I stumble
Down, down, down to this white blur
As it gives out before me.

Me?

I extend all ways
25 Flailing about
A desperate attempt to right myself
I fit into the walls and they pull me.

Light?

Light, I know it is light!

30 Stillness and then
Something moves
Green, oh green, dazzling lightning
And elation
This is my room
35 There are my books
There the piano
There the final bar I wrote
There the last line
And oh the sunlight!

6
What is the significance of the narrator's thoughts in lines 7–10?
A.
They indicate the narrator believes he has been successful, because he is remembering his accomplishments.
B.
They indicate that the narrator feels he has worked very hard and wants others to recognize his achievements.
C.
They indicate the narrator believes he may not recover from his illness, because he is taking stock of his life.
D.
They indicate that the narrator has given up hope of recovery and wants to be remembered fondly by others.

Answer 1

C

The lines show the speaker taking stock of the life/actions that define him ("the dozen acts or so that make me the man men see"), which suggests he’s aware of possible death or nonrecovery and is checking whether he’s completed what matters — not simply claiming success or asking for recognition.