Question

haiku by issa
the moth saw brightness in a womans chamber—burnt to a crisp.

an excerpt from elegiac verses by william wordsworth
full soon in sorrow did i weep,
taught that the mutual hope was dust,
in sorrow, but for higher trust,
how miserably deep!
all vanished in a single word,
a breath, a sound, and scarcely heard.
sea—ship—drowned—shipwreck—so it came,
the meek, the brave, the good, was gone;
he who had been our living john
was nothing but a name.

what motif is addressed in both forms of poetry?

romance
the ocean
the outdoors
death

Explanation:

Analyze the first poem

Using the Poetry Interpretation knowledge point
The first poem is a short, three-line piece (resembling a haiku structure):
"The moth saw brightness
in a woman's chamber—
burnt to a crisp."
This poem describes a moth drawn to a flame or light source, resulting in it being "burnt to a crisp," which is a direct depiction of its demise or death.

Analyze the second poem

Using the Romantic Poetry Themes and Poetry Interpretation knowledge points
The second poem is an excerpt from "Elegiac Stanzas" by William Wordsworth:
"Full soon in sorrow did I weep,
Taught that the mutual hope was dust,
In sorrow, but for higher trust,
How miserably deep!
All vanished in a single word,
A breath, a sound, and scarcely heard.
Sea—Ship—drowned—Shipwreck—so it came,
The meek, the brave, the good, was gone;
He who had been our living John
Was nothing but a name."
This excerpt is an elegy mourning the loss of "our living John" who "drowned" in a "Shipwreck" and is now "nothing but a name." The central theme is grief, loss, and death.

Compare the shared motif

Using the Poetry Interpretation knowledge point
Comparing both poems:

• The first poem ends with the moth being "burnt to a crisp" (death).
• The second poem laments a shipwreck where a loved one "drowned" and "was gone" (death).

Therefore, the shared motif addressed in both forms of poetry is death.

Answer:

• romance
• the ocean
• the outdoors
• death (Correct answer)