Question

i have to live with myself and so
i want to be fit for myself to know.
i want to be able as days go by,
always to look myself straight in the eye;
i dont want to stand with the setting sun
and hate myself for the things i have done.
i dont want to keep on a closet shelf
a lot of secrets about myself
and fool myself as i come and go
into thinking no one else will ever know
the kind of person i really am,
i dont want to dress up myself in sham.

-\myself\
edgar guest

based on what youve learned about finding the central idea, what is the central idea of this poem?

keeping secrets
different kinds of people
knowing oneself
the setting sun

Explanation:

Analyze the poem's key themes and statements

The speaker emphasizes self-reflection, self-respect, and authenticity:

• "I have to live with myself and so / I want to be fit for myself to know."
• "always to look myself straight in the eye"
• "I don't want to keep on a closet shelf / a lot of secrets about myself"
• "I don't want to dress up myself in sham."

Evaluate the multiple-choice options against the text

• keeping secrets: The speaker explicitly rejects keeping secrets ("I don't want to keep on a closet shelf / a lot of secrets").
• different kinds of people: The poem focuses entirely on the speaker's relationship with themselves, not on comparing different types of people.
• knowing oneself: The core message is about self-knowledge, self-examination, and living honestly with oneself ("be fit for myself to know", "look myself straight in the eye").
• the setting sun: This is a literal detail used metaphorically in one line ("stand with the setting sun"), not the central idea.

Determine the correct option

The central idea of Edgar Guest's poem "Myself" is "knowing oneself" and living with personal integrity.

Answer:

• keeping secrets
• different kinds of people
• knowing oneself (Correct answer)
• the setting sun