Question

Read the following passage from Whitman's "Song of the Open Road" and answer the question.

You must not stay sleeping and dallying there in the house,
though you built it, or though it has been built for you.

Out of the dark confinement! out from behind the screen!

Which sentence best paraphrases the passage above?

Wake up and quit wasting time inside. Get outside and into the light!
Stay inside! It is safer and wiser.
Keep sleeping so that you may dream of a better world.
Quit wasting time! Close the screen and then close the door.

Answer 1

I think it's D. It sounds as if something of horror is out behind the screen.

Answer 2

Answer:

Wake up and quit wasting time inside. Get outside and into the light!

Explanation:

This is the statement that best paraphrases Whitman's stanza. In these lines, Whitman tells us that, even though a house might be your own, and might have been built with your own hands, and might be perfect for you, this does not mean that you should be happy staying in there all the time. He asks the reader to leave the protection and confinement of security and wake up, go out and enjoy the light.