Question

today as the news from selma and saigon
poisons the air like fallout,
i come again to see
the serene great picture that i love.
—\monet’s ‘waterlilies,’\
robert hayden
how does the imagery used to describe the picture
contrast with the imagery used to describe the news?
the picture is described as old, while the news is
described as current.
the picture is described as calming, while the news
is described as chaotic.
the picture is described as safe, while the news is
described as dangerous.
the picture is described as pure, while the news is
described as polluted.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the imagery for the picture: The poem says "the serene great picture that I love" (Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’), so the picture is calming/serene.
2. Analyze the imagery for the news: "the news from Selma and Saigon poisons the air like fallout" - "poisons" and "fallout" (radioactive, harmful) imply chaos/danger/chaotic nature.
3. Evaluate options:

• Option A: The poem doesn't emphasize "old" vs "current" in imagery. Eliminate.
• Option B: The picture is "serene" (calming), news is "poisons...like fallout" (chaotic, harmful). This matches.
• Option C: The poem doesn't use "safe" imagery for the picture. "Poisons" for news is about harm, not just "dangerous" in a safety - focused way. Eliminate.
• Option D: The poem doesn't use "pure" for the picture. "Poisons" and "fallout" for news is about harm, not just "polluted" (environmental pollution - like). Eliminate.

Answer:

B. The picture is described as calming, while the news is described as chaotic.