Question

a noiseless patient spider
by walt whitman
a noiseless patient spider,
i mark’d where on a little promontory it stood isolated,
mark’d how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
it launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.
and you o my soul where you stand,
surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
till the bridge you will need be form’d, till the ductile anchor hold,
till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, o my soul.

1. what is whitman comparing in this poem?

options: a spider and a bridge; a spider and his soul; a spider and its web

Explanation:

In the poem "A Noiseless Patient Spider" by Walt Whitman, the spider is described as launching filaments, and then the speaker relates this to their soul ("O my soul") that is venturing, seeking to connect spheres. So Whitman is comparing a spider and his (the speaker's) soul. The first option focuses on the spider and web, but the poem draws a parallel between the spider's actions and the soul's quest. The third option (spider and bridge) is not what's compared; the bridge is part of the soul's quest imagery. So the correct comparison is a spider and his soul.

Answer:

B. a spider and his soul