Question

read the poem.
\the courage that my mother had\
by edna st. vincent millay

the courage that my mother had
went with her, and is with her still:
rock from new england quarried;
now granite in a granite hill.

the golden brooch my mother wore
she left behind for me to wear;
i have no thing i treasure more:
yet, it is something i could spare.

oh, if instead shed left to me
the thing she took into the grave!—
that courage like a rock, which she
has no more need of, and i have.

how does the third stanza of \the courage that my mother had\ contribute to the meaning of the poem?

it describes the speakers fond memories of her mother

it explains the speakers viewpoint on the meaning of death.

it confirms that the speaker values her mothers courage above all else.

it emphasizes the speaker’s grief over what little her mother gave her.

Explanation:

The third stanza expresses the speaker's longing for their mother's courage (framed as a rock, a symbol of unshakable strength) over the tangible golden brooch they received. It directly states the speaker wishes they had inherited this courage instead of the jewelry, making clear this intangible trait is far more valuable to them than any physical memento.

Answer:

It confirms that the speaker values her mother's courage above all else.