Question

The poem is called an elegy because ________.

• A. The speaker surrenders a dead friend to the natural world
• B. The speaker enjoys the beauty of nature
• C. The speaker laments the loss of a friend
• D. The speaker comes to terms with the death of a friend

Answer 1

The correct option is C The speaker laments the loss of a friend

An elegy is a poem written typically as a lament for the dead. The given poem is an elegy because the poet is lamenting the death a friend. This claim is supported by lines like "Let them bury your big eyes,

In the secret earth securely,"

and "Once the ivory box is broken,

Beats the golden bird no more."

So, option B is the correct answer. The other choices are incorrect as they do fit the context of an elegy.