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Difficulty: EasyDiction and Word Connotation

Read the following lines carefully:

The candle eats the silent dark,
With yellow teeth and smoky breath;
It leaves a small, domestic mark
Upon the shadow-lands of death.

In the third line, the word "domestic" most nearly connotes which of the following?

  1. A
    A state of wild, unpredictable energy
  2. B
    A feeling of subordination and household servitude
  3. Warmth and safety within a familiar spaceAnswer
  4. D
    A connection to industrial manufacturing
  5. E
    A transition that is rapid and fleeting

Answer

Warmth and safety within a familiar space
The correct answer is the option describing warmth and safety within a familiar space. In the context of the passage, the candle's flame fights against the vastness of the dark and death. By describing the candle's mark as "domestic," the speaker associates the small flame with the safety, comfort, and order of the home, contrasting it with the terrifying and unfamiliar realm of death.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context in which "domestic" is used in the poem.
The word describes the "mark" left by the candle's flame against "the shadow-lands of death."
Understanding the surrounding imagery helps determine the connotative contrast between the light of the candle and the darkness of death.
2
Determine the connotative value of "domestic" in relation to this contrast.
Since "domestic" refers to the home, its connotation here is one of safety, comfort, and familiarity opposing the hostile, unknown darkness.
This identifies the correct secondary meaning that aligns with the poem's thematic tension.

Key Concept

Identifying how a word's connotation creates thematic contrast and tone in poetry
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Topics

Diction and Word Connotation

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