Question

3
\through the moon - pierced warp of night
shoot pale shafts of yellow light\ (lines 3 - 4)
how do these lines develop meaning in the poem?

• they emphasize the display of light that protects the apples.
• they portray the apples as a powerful and captivating beacon.
• they indicate that the apples and the moon serve a similar purpose.
• they suggest that the bright moon diminishes the appeal of the apples.

(left side text: this commission sadly perplexed hercules, for he did not know in what portion of the world he would find these apples, which had been given to juno as a wedding present, and which she had intrusted to the care of the hesperides, daughters of hesperus, god of the west. after numerous journeys and many inquiries, hercules discovered that these maidens had carried these apples off to africa, hung them on a tree in their garden, and placed the dragon ladon at its foot to guard their treasures night and day. unfortunately, no one could tell hercules in what part of africa the garden of the hesperides might be situated: so he set out at a venture, determined to travel about until he gained some information. on his way he met with many adventures, and saw many strange sights. for instance, he first met the nymphs of the eridanus river, and, questioning them...)

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The lines talk about light from the moon - pierced night shooting pale shafts, but there's no mention of light protecting apples. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The description of the light (pale shafts of yellow light) can be seen as portraying the apples as a captivating beacon, as the light draws attention to them. This makes sense.
• Option 3: The lines don't imply the apples and moon have a similar purpose. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The lines don't suggest the moon diminishes the apples' appeal. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. They portray the apples as a powerful and captivating beacon.