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Difficulty: HardExtended Metaphors and Conceits

Read the following poem by Walt Whitman carefully:

A noiseless patient spider,
I mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
Mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

Which of the following best describes how the extended metaphor of the spider's filament-spinning functions to develop the poem's thematic portrayal of the human soul?

  1. A
    contrasts the spider’s instinctual physical labor with the soul’s passive, inactive state of contemplation
  2. B
    documents the poet’s personal observations of nature to argue that human spirituality is ultimately subordinate to biological instincts
  3. illustrates the soul's active, persistent effort to forge connections and find stability within an expansive, empty universeAnswer
  4. D
    emphasizes the fragility and inevitable failure of human relationships, which are symbolized by the easily broken gossamer thread
  5. E
    suggests that the speaker is seeking to escape the burdens of society by retreating into a state of self-imposed isolation

Answer

The correct answer is the option stating that the metaphor illustrates the soul's active, persistent effort to forge connections and find stability within an expansive, empty universe.
The correct answer is the option stating that the metaphor illustrates the soul's active, persistent effort to forge connections and find stability within an expansive, empty universe. Whitman constructs an extended metaphor comparing the physical spider, which 'stood isolated' and launched filaments into the vacant surrounding, to the human soul, which stands 'surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space.' The active verbs used to describe the soul ('musing, venturing, throwing, seeking') parallel the spider's persistent spinning, showing that both are engaged in a strenuous, hopeful effort to build a bridge or secure a 'ductile anchor' to connect with the larger world.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the vehicle and tenor of the extended metaphor in the poem.
The spider launching filaments is the vehicle; the human soul seeking connection in space is the tenor.
This establishes the comparative relationship at the heart of the conceit.
2
Analyze the language describing the soul's activities to determine its characteristics.
The soul is described as actively 'musing, venturing, throwing, seeking' to connect spheres and form a bridge or anchor.
This helps determine the tone and attitude of the speaker's spiritual quest.
3
Evaluate how the vehicle's development maps to the tenor's resolution.
Both the spider and the soul launch threads outward into empty space, hoping they will catch and form a stable bridge.
This reveals the core meaning of the conceit as a representation of active persistence in seeking connection.

Key Concept

Extended Metaphors and Conceits
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

Extended Metaphors and Conceits

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