Complete the sentences based on your reading of this excerpt from "Il Penseroso" by John Milton:
"Where I may sit and rightly spell
Of every Star that Heav'n doth shew,
And every Herb that sips the dew;
Till old experience do attain
To somthing like Prophetic strain."
1. In this poem, when the speaker says he "may sit and rightly spell," he refers to:
A.) Comprehension of the properties of the stars
B.) Contemplation of the beauty of nature
C.) Ability to interpret the meaning of the stars
D.) Scholarly investigation of the skies
2. The phrase "Prophetic strain" means
A.) Philosophical understanding
B.) The suffering of the Puritan cause
C.) The effort required to be a visionary
D.) Conflict that occurs among philosophers
Answer:
1. B.) Contemplation of the beauty of nature
2. A.) Philosophical understanding
Explanation:
According to the excerpt from "Il Penseroso" by John Milton, when the speaker says he "may sit and rightly spell," he refers to: contemplation of the beauty of nature because "Where I may sit and rightly spell, Of every Star that Heav'n doth shew," refers to his appreciation of nature.
While the phrase "Prophetic strain" means philosophical understanding because he talks about old experience leading one to prophetic strain which is used to mean an understanding of philosophy.
