What's the meaning of the word perennial in the excerpt below? "And it chanced that the direction of my scientific studies, which led wholly toward the mystic and the transcendental, re-acted and shed a strong light on this consciousness of the perennial war among my members."

Perennial here means unending, long-term.

Explanation:

Literarily, the word perennial means lasting indefinitely long.

In this context, it means there is a war among his members that has been in existence for long. The other possible meanings are long lasting, unending, permanent or consistent.

b. failure at least that one seems the most negative out of all of the answers provided pls correct me if i'm wrong. : ))

- "the answers are a and b.  

when cullen speaks of planting while others reap, and standing "abject and mute," he is speaking about the racial injustices present in american society. as these injustices have changed over time, the american identity  has also shifted. those changes are, in turn, reflected in american literature."