Question

which of the poem’s stanzas best proves the speaker’s theory?
a. “another minute of your life. follow this / to its natural conclusion—dead end”

b. “what you must carry—tome of memory, / its random blank pages. on the dock”

c. “where you board the boat for ship island, / someone will take your picture.”

d. “the photograph—who you were— / will be waiting when you return.”

Explanation:

To determine the stanza proving the speaker’s theory, we analyze each option. The speaker’s theory likely relates to a return or continuity. Option D (“the photograph—who you were—will be waiting when you return”) suggests a preserved self (in the photograph) waiting upon return, implying a form of continuity or a “theory” about self and return. Other options focus on life’s end (A), memory (B), or boarding a boat (C), which don’t align as closely with a “theory” of return/continuity as D does.

Answer:

D. “the photograph—who you were—will be waiting when you return.”