Question

read rita dove’s poem \sonnet in primary colors,\ then study frida kahlo’s painting self - portrait with monkey and parrot.
this is for the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely frida, erect among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant, who painted herself a present—
wildflowers entwining the plaster corset
herspine resides in, that flaming pillar—
this priestess in the romance of mirrors.
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.
which statements best describe differences in the style of the two works?
○ the painting pays attention to details of kahlo’s physical appearance, while the poem does not.
○ the poem portrays the painter as serious, while the painting does not.
○ the poem reveals details that explain kahlo’s facial expressions, while the painting does not.
○ the painting uses imagery that tells of kahlo’s connection to nature, while the poem does not.

Explanation:

1. Analyze the first option: The poem references Kahlo's physical traits ("one black wing perched over her eyes", "thumbprint searing her immutable brow"), so it does address her appearance. This option is incorrect.
2. Analyze the second option: Kahlo's self-portrait has a serious, intense expression, while the poem frames her with elements of resilience and quiet intensity too. This option is incorrect.
3. Analyze the third option: The poem provides context for her demeanor, such as her nightly pain, grief for lost loved ones, and her unyielding spirit, which explains the serious, unchanging (immutable) look in her portrait. The painting only shows her expression, not the reasons behind it. This option is correct.
4. Analyze the fourth option: The poem includes nature imagery like "wildflowers", "celluloid butterflies", and "hundred dogs panting... along the graveled walks of the garden", so it does connect her to nature. This option is incorrect.

Answer:

The poem reveals details that explain Kahlo's facial expressions, while the painting does not.