Question

the raven (excerpt) edgar allan poe once upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary, over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore- while i nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’tis some visitor,” i muttered, “tapping at my chamber door- only this and nothing more.” ah, distinctly i remember, it was in the bleak december, and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. eagerly i wished the morrow - vainly i had sought to borrow from my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost lenore- for the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name lenore- nameless here for evermore. and the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before; so that now, to still the beating of my heart, i stood repeating “’tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door - some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; that it is and nothing more.” presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer, “sir,” said i, “or madam, truly your forgiveness i implore; but the fact is i was napping, and so gently you came rapping, and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door, that i scarce was sure i heard you - here i opened wide the door- darkness there and nothing more. ah, distinctly i remember, it was in the bleak december, and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. with these lines, the narrator is saying that a the fire is burning out. b the fire has transformed into ghosts. c the fire is growing supernaturally strong. d the fire is ghostly in substance, even if non - ghostly in appearance.

Explanation:

The phrase "each separate dying ember" implies that the fire is fading or burning out. The "ghost - like" effect is a metaphorical description of the embers' last glow, not that the fire has actually turned into ghosts or is growing stronger in a supernatural way.

Answer:

A. The fire is burning out