Question

read the stanza from \monets waterlilies\ by robert hayden.
o light beheld as through refracting tears.
here is the aura of that world
each of us has lost.
here is the shadow of its joy.
how does the imagery in the stanza contribute to the poems overall meaning?
it illustrates tears as being soothing.
it illustrates a sense of misfortune.
it illustrates faith in humankind.
it illustrates the beauty of nature.

Explanation:

The stanza describes a world "each of us has lost" and the "shadow of its joy". The imagery of light seen through "refracting tears" and the lost world with its joy's shadow conveys a sense of something that was once there but is now gone, which is related to misfortune. Tears here are not shown as soothing (no positive connotation of soothing is in the stanza). There is no mention of faith in humankind or the beauty of nature. The focus is on loss.

Answer:

It illustrates a sense of misfortune.