I had come to the house, in a cave of trees,
Facing a sheer sky.
Everything moved,—a bell hung ready to strike,
Sun and reflection wheeled by.
When the bare eyes were before me
And the hissing hair,
Held up at a window, seen through a door.
The stiff bald eyes, the serpents on the forehead
Formed in the air.
This is a dead scene forever now.
Nothing will ever stir.
The end will never brighten it more than this,
Nor the rain blur.
The water will always fall, and will not fall,
And the tipped bell make no sound.
The grass will always be growing for hay
Deep on the ground.
And I shall stand here like a shadow
Under the great balanced day,
My eyes on the yellow dust, that was lifting in the wind,
And does not drift away.
("Medusa" by Louise Bogan)
Question
In Greek mythology, Medusa is a monstrous figure. Her head is covered with snakes instead of hair, and with a single glance, she can turn people to stone.
In line 7 of the poem, the speaker sees Medusa. What happens as a result in lines 10–21?
Answer options with 4 options
1.
The speaker resists becoming stone by focusing on nature.
2.
The speaker pretends to become stone in order to escape harm.
3.
The speaker seems to become stone but is just paralyzed by fear.
4.
The speaker becomes stone along with the surrounding area.