Question

Which pair of lines from "A Nation's Strength" implies that nations built on wealth are doomed to fail?


"What makes a nation's pillars high
And its foundations strong?"


"Its shafts are laid on sinking sand,
Not on abiding rock"


"The blood has turned their stones to rust,
Their glory to decay."


"They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky."

Answer 1

"Its shafts are laid on sinking sand, / Not on abiding rock."

These lines use the sinking-sand vs. abiding-rock metaphor to show that a nation founded on unstable things (like wealth) will fail, while one founded on lasting values will endure.