LITERATURE QUESTIONS
MODERN POETRY AND POETICS
|
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
|
|
|
They symbolize the return to a lost paradise.
|
|
|
They point to alchemical elements, which in turn symbolize the body and the soul.
|
|
|
They symbolize the coming apocalypse.
|
|
|
They symbolize a fulfilled longing.
|
Detailed explanation-1: -In the poem’s closing lines, Aengus promises to pluck “the silver apples of the moon, /The golden apples of the sun.” This pair of images symbolizes the process of artistic creation. Not only are apples of the moon and sun metaphorical constructs, silver and gold are artificial materials.
Detailed explanation-2: -Infatuation, Beauty, and Obsession. “The Song of Wandering Aengus” is a poem about the magic and dangers of infatuation. Its speaker, Aengus, catches an enchanted fish that turns into a beautiful young woman who calls Aengus’s name and then runs away. The smitten Aengus tries, and fails, for years to find her.
Detailed explanation-3: -Mythology speaks of boughs of gold or silver and apples of gold as well, precious branches and fruits that are nonetheless somehow accepted as natural (in other words: fashioned by gods) and not made by the clever hands of men.
Detailed explanation-4: -How does Aengus’s desire to pluck the apples affect the meaning in the poem? It represents Aengus’s desire to capture the beauty he saw when he was young.