Read the following excerpt from “In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae. Which two of the choices are possible connotative meanings
of crosses? In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
A. a final resting place
B. something peaceful and serene
C. a dangerous thing or person
D. a symbol of respect
E. a wasteful object or person
Answer: The right answers are the A) a final resting place and the C) a dangerous thing or person.
Explanation: Just to elaborate a little, it can be added that in the context of the poem crosses mean, on the one hand, a final resting place, since the speaker and some of his companions are already dead after having fought in a battle, and a field with crosses is the place where they now rest, and, on the other hand, a dangerous object, since guns continue to be aimed at them, since they are next to those remaining soldiers that are still fighting.
Romanticism was a reaction to rationalism as much as it was a result of the social changes. ... The “romantics” are the philosophers and literary writers who addressed irrational motivations in human nature, particularly emotions.
