Question

5
which statement is the correct interpretation of this excerpt from \to his coy mistress\ by andrew marvell?
thy beauty shall no more be found,
nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
my echoing song; then worms shall try
that long-preserved virginity,
and your quaint honour turn to dust.
a. the mistresss body will be in a coffin after her death, where it will turn into a marble statue.
b. it will be impossible to preserve the mistresss honor after her death because her body will turn to dust.
c. the mistresss desire to preserve her honor and chastity makes no sense because her body will be devoured by worms after her death.
d. the mistress will still be able to hear the songs of love after death and will be united with her lover after his death.

Explanation:

The excerpt focuses on the inevitability of death: the mistress's preserved virginity/honor will be destroyed by worms, and her honor will turn to dust. Option A is wrong because the "marble vault" is a tomb, not a statue. Option B misses the connection to her preserved virginity. Option D is incorrect as the text says her lover's song will not sound in her tomb. Option C correctly links her desire for chastity/honor to the futility of death (worms devouring her body).

Answer:

C. The mistress's desire to preserve her honor and chastity makes no sense because her body will be devoured by worms after her death.