Question

questions 1 through 4 refer to the following
this poem is from karen connelly, decoe #2006) by fordham university press.
the raspberry room
it was solid hedge, loops of bramble and thorny
as if had to be with its barrier thick as burdockdown.
it drew blood just to get there, but i was queen
of that place, at least, though the berries shook like fate
1 in the wind, daring anyone to come in. i was trying
so hard to love this world-real rooms too big and full
of worry to comfortably inhabit-but flagging i was born
in the black acre of my grandparents orchard. i was close
10 stitched and beaded by its hot, dollmakers needles. the effort
of sliding under the heavy, spiked tangles that tore
my clothes and answered me with juice was rewarded
with space, wholly mine, a kind of room out of
16 digger leaves and a smap of sun and birdsong.
hours would pass in the loud hush of it. blood
made it mine-the adventure of that red sting singing
20 down my calves, the place the scratches brought me to:
just space enough for a girl to lie down.

1. excluded, protected
2. a shady place under trees or plants

what can be entened from the speakers statement blood / made it mine (lines 16, 17)?
a the speaker wishes she could share her adventure with others.
b the speaker feels improved by the hedges thorns.
c the speaker believes she has earned the right to be in her private space.
d the speaker wants to be acknowledged for her bravery.

Explanation:

In the poem, the speaker describes creating a personal space (the "raspberry room") despite the challenges (like the hedge's thorns). The line "Blood / I made it mine" implies that through her efforts (even getting pricked and having blood, which is a sign of her struggle and work), she has claimed this space as her own. She has overcome the difficulties (the hedge) to establish her right to this private place.

• Option A: There is no indication in the text that she wants to share her adventure. The poem focuses on her personal claim of the space.
• Option B: The thorns caused her to bleed (as in line 4 "It drew blood"), and there's no positive indication of being "improved" by them in the context of the line "Blood / I made it mine".
• Option D: There is no mention of wanting acknowledgment for bravery. The emphasis is on claiming the space.

Answer:

C. The speaker believes she has earned the right to be in her private space.