Question

Eel-Grass

No matter what I say. All that I really love Is the rain that flattens on the bay. And the eel-grass in the cove; The jingle-shells that lie and bleach At the tide-line, and the trace Of higher tides along the beach: Nothing in this place.

("Eel-Grass," by Edna St. Vincent Millay)

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This question has two parts. Answer Part A, and then answer Part B.

Part A

What is the central idea of the poem?

1. The speaker loves being outdoors more than being indoors.

2. The present location of the speaker is much less desirable than the seaside.

3. The speaker loves keeping a record of the many interesting features of the seaside.

4. The opinion of the speaker is that the outdoors has both positive and negative aspects.

Part B

How does the first line of the poem help develop the correct central idea from Part A7

1. The line suggests that sometimes the ideas of the speaker are unpopular.

2. The line suggests that sometimes the true feelings of the speaker are hidden.

3. The line suggests that the speaker has conversations with a variety of people.

4. The line suggests that the speaker is uncomfortable expressing personal thoughts.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

Part A: 2. The present location of the speaker is much less desirable than the seaside.

Part B: 2. The line suggests that sometimes the true feelings of the speaker are hidden. This sets the tone for the rest of the poem, where the speaker expresses their true love and admiration for the seaside, contrasting it with their current less desirable location.