Question

barnacles
by sidney lanier
my soul is sailing through the sea,
but the past is heavy and hindereth me.
the past hath crusted cumbrous shells
that hold the flesh of cold sea-mells
about my soul.
the huge waves wash, the high waves roll,
each barnacle clingeth and worketh dole
and hindereth me from sailing!
old past, let go, and drop i’ the sea
till fathomless waters cover thee!
for i am living, but thou art dead;
thou drawest back, i strive ahead
the day to find.

select the correct answer.
which sentence best expresses a theme of \barnacles\?
a. learning from past experiences is the only way to move forward.
b. moving against the tide can be difficult and lonely.
c. it is important to maintain one’s possessions in good condition.
d. the past can keep a person from making progress.

Explanation:

To determine the theme, analyze the poem: phrases like "the Past is heavy and hindereth me", "Old Past, let go", and "thou drawest back, I strive ahead" suggest the past holds the speaker back from progress. Option A claims learning from past is the only way (not supported, as poem emphasizes letting go, not learning). Option B talks about moving against tide being difficult/lonely (poem’s focus is on the past, not the tide’s difficulty). Option C is about maintaining possessions (irrelevant to poem’s content). Option D states the past can keep a person from progress, which matches the poem’s message of the past hindering and needing to let it go to move forward.

Answer:

D. The past can keep a person from making progress.