Question

read lines 25–28 from the poem.
i admire his unshakeable belief in his path,
while all i know is my future job won’t use math.
that’s humor first and some sadness after:
my friend griffin has a kind of forlorn laughter.
which statement best explains the effect of the oxymoron in these lines?
the oxymoron illustrates that griffin is not easily swayed by the opinions of others.
the oxymoron reveals that there is a connection between present experiences and future decisions.
the oxymoron explains that sadness will follow happiness in order to create balance.
the oxymoron suggests that griffin has a sorrow about him even in his happiest moments.

Explanation:

The oxymoron here is "forlorn laughter"—"forlorn" means sad/desolate, while "laughter" is linked to joy. This pairing shows Griffin's laughter is undercut by underlying sorrow, even when he seems to express happiness. The other options do not address the core contrast of the oxymoron: the first refers to resolve (not the oxymoron's effect), the second links present/future (unrelated to the contradictory terms), and the third focuses on a sequential balance of emotions rather than the simultaneous mixed feeling in the oxymoron.

Answer:

The oxymoron suggests that Griffin has a sorrow about him even in his happiest moments.