9
QuizMultiple Choice

Experiencing and Reliving Vietnam

Question 9 • Hopkins FA American Literature (2026-2027)

Which lines from the poem “Facing It” best communicate the author’s internal conflict to the reader?

Answer
A
I said I wouldn’t,dammit: No tears. I’m stone. I’m flesh.(lines 3-5)
B
My clouded reflection eyes melike a bird of prey, the profile of nightslanted against morning. (lines 6-8)
C
I go down the 58,022 names, half-expecting to findmy own in letters like smoke.(lines 14-16)
D
A white vet’s image floatscloser to me, then his pale eyeslook through mine. I’m a window.(lines 25-27)

Explanation

The speaker says, “I said I wouldn’t, dammit: No tears,” showing that he is trying to control his emotions. But “I’m stone. I’m flesh” reveals the tension between wanting to seem hard and being vulnerable enough to feel grief. That contrast makes choice A the clearest expression of his internal conflict.

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