Question

Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this poem. One of the themes of “On Another’s Sorrow” is that people are compassionate when they see others who are sorrowful. Which pair of lines best supports this theme? A. "Hear the small birds grief and care, / Hear the woes that infants bear," B. "O! he gives to us his joy / That our grief he may destroy;" C. "Can I see another’s grief, / And not seek for kind relief?" D. "O, no! never can it be! / Never never can it be."

Answer 1

The correct answer is C., the pair of lines that best supports the idea that people are compassionate when they see others who are sorrowful as a theme of "On Another's Sorrow" is "Can I see another's grief, / And not seek for kind relief?"

In these two lines it is evident that the poetic voice has profound compassion towards other people who are sad or troubled, and that he wishes he could make it better, thus , it support the theme of the poem.