The Flame In the quiet of the evening a candle burns, glowing,
Flame swaying to the song of the tender breeze
The wisp of a child whizzes by,
a rush of wind in his wake,
The candle flame leans hard
and flickers
Gone
Its ghost of smoke
ya
nish
ing
How does the gradual shortening of lines most clearly contribute to the
meaning of the poem?
A. The gradual shortening of lines creates a visual image of the
poem's topic, a candle flame.
B. The gradual shortening of lines slows the poem's pace, hinting at
the slow burning out of the flame,
C. The gradual shortening of lines imitates the actions of the
candle's diminishing flame.
D. The gradual shortening of lines increases the poem's pace,
emphasizing the theme of the shortness of life.