Question

read the stanza from \sonnet in primary colors\ by rita dove.
each night she lay down in pain and rose
to the celluloid butterflies of her beloved dead,
lenin and marx and stalin arrayed at the footstead.
and rose to her easel, the hundred dogs panting
like children along the graveled walks of the garden,
diego’s
love a skull in the circular window
of the thumbprint searing her immutable brow.
how does the underlined figurative language contribute to the meaning of the poem?
○ it describes the reason for frida’s pain and suffering.
○ it indicates that the love frida once felt has died.
○ it shows that frida continues to think of politics.
○ it suggests that frida prefers to be around nature.

Explanation:

The underlined phrase "love a skull" uses a metaphor. A skull symbolizes death, so this suggests Diego’s love has died. The first option is wrong (doesn’t explain pain’s reason), third (no politics link), fourth (not about nature preference). So the correct option is the second one.

Answer:

B. It indicates that the love Frida once felt has died.