Question

i think: if the cold somber¹ gods
were hot with love as i am
could they not endow² you with a star
and fix bright youth forever in your limbs?
could they not give you all things that i lack?

you should have loved a god; i am but dust.
yet no god loves as loves this poor frail dust.

1. somber: dark, dreary, joyless
2. endow: give someone something for free

1. what is this poem about? __the speaker profound love for someone

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1. what is the speaker’s tone? __has self deprecation calling themselves

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explain your answer using textual evidence.

Explanation:

Question 5

The poem expresses the speaker's deep love. Lines like "Were hot with love as I am" show the speaker's passionate love. Also, "Could they not give you all things that I lack?" and "Yet no god loves as loves this poor frail dust" highlight the speaker's profound affection, as they wish the beloved had divine gifts and assert their unique, intense love despite being "dust" (human, imperfect) compared to gods.

The speaker's tone has self - deprecation. Phrases like "I am but dust" and "this poor frail dust" belittle the speaker's own worth, contrasting themselves with gods. At the same time, there's a tone of passionate love, seen in "hot with love" and the wish to give the beloved divine gifts, and a tone of self - assurance in love, as shown by "no god loves as loves this poor frail dust".

Answer:

The poem is about the speaker's profound love for someone. The speaker wishes the gods (who are "cold somber" but the speaker is "hot with love") could bestow gifts like a star and eternal youth on the beloved, and laments their own human limitations ("I am but dust") while asserting that no god loves as deeply as they do ("no god loves as loves this poor frail dust").

Question 6