Question

Read the excerpt from "Violets."

Some whispered that a broken heart had ceased to flutter in that still, young form, and that it was a mercy for the soul to ascend on the slender sunbeam.

What larger universal idea about life do the mourners’ whispers convey?
A.Love will last forever, even into the grave.
B.Flowers are apt for romance and for funerals.
C.The heartbreak of unrequited love is akin to death.
D.Gossip will continue even after someone has died.

Answer 1

The answer is C. The heartbreak of unrequited love is akin to death.

Answer 2

Answer: The right answer is the C. The heartbreak of unrequited love is akin to death.

Explanation: Just to elaborate a little on the answer, it can be added that since some whispered that a broken heart—usually the result of a not reciprocated, or unrequited, love—had stopped fluttering with life and his or her soul had found relief, or had comforted herself ("it was a mercy for the soul"), in ascending on the slender sunbeam, that is, in ascending to Heaven, the universal idea about life that the whispers convey is that the heartbreak of unrequited love is akin to death. One dies a little when his or her love for another person is not mutual.