Question

Sonnet—To Science
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1 Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!

2 Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.

3 Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,

4 Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?

5 How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise,

6 Who wouldst not leave him in his wanderin

7 To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies,

8 Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing?

9 Hast thou not dragged Diana[1] from her car,

10 And driven the Hamadryad[2] from the wood

11 To seek a shelter in some happier star?

12 Hast thou not torn the Naiad[3] from her flood,

13 The Elfin[4] from the green grass, and from me

14 The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree[5]?



[1] Diana: Roman goddess of the moon and hunting.

[2] Hamadryad: A tree nymph from Greek mythology who lives in and is connected to a specific tree.\

[3] Naiad: A Greek water nymph who lives in rivers, streams, and fountains.

[4] Elfin: An elf or fairly-like creature

[5] Tamarind tree: A tropical tree known for it’s fruit; often associated with warm, dreamy landscapes.

Question 13
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Read the lines from the poem.

1 Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art!
2 Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes.
3 Why preyest thou thus upon the poet’s heart,
4 Vulture, whose wings are dull realities?
How do these lines develop the speaker’s ideas about science?


A. These lines show that the speaker thinks science is better than poetry.

B. These lines show that the speaker hopes to become a famous scientist.

C. These lines show that the speaker feels that science is an enemy of poetry.

D. These lines show that the speaker thinks scientific knowledge makes poetry better.
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Answer 1

C. These lines show that the speaker feels that science is an enemy of poetry.

Explanation: The speaker calls Science a "vulture" that "preyest...upon the poet’s heart" and accuses it of altering things with "peering eyes" and "dull realities," portraying science as destructive to poetic imagination.