Using Resources and Reference Materials for Editing — Unit test
Question 14 • Common Core ELA 11 - ELA3011 IC
Read this excerpt from Diane Di Prima’s poem "Buddhist New Year Song."I could see the planet from which we had comeI could not remember (then) what our purpose wasbut remembered the name Mahakala, in the dawnin the dawn confronted Shiva, the cold lightrevealed the “mindborn” worldsWhat is the purpose of these allusions in this excerpt?
Answer
A
to show the speaker of the poem’s intelligence
B
to explain the purpose of the dawn
C
to depict the importance of religious faith
D
to reference figures of destruction and creation
Explanation
The excerpt alludes to Mahakala and Shiva, figures associated with Hindu religious tradition and with forces such as destruction and creation. These names deepen the poem’s cosmic imagery by connecting the speaker’s vision to those figures. The allusions are not mainly meant to show intelligence or explain why dawn occurs.
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