High School

Read Rita Dove's poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors," then study Frida Kahlo's painting "Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot."

This is for the woman with one black wing perched over her eyes: lovely Frida, erect among parrots, in the stern petticoats of the peasant, who painted herself a present—wildflowers entwining the plaster corset her spine resides in, that flaming pillar—this priestess in the romance of mirrors. Each night she lay down in pain and rose to the celluloid butterflies of her Beloved Dead, Lenin and Marx and Stalin arrayed at the footstead. And rose to her easel, the hundred dogs panting like children along the graveled walks of the garden, Diego's love a skull in the circular window.

Which statements best describe differences in the style of the two works?

A. The painting pays attention to details of Kahlo's physical appearance, while the poem does not.
B. The poem portrays the painter as serious, while the painting does not.
C. The poem reveals details that explain Kahlo's facial expressions, while the painting does not.
D. The painting uses imagery that tells of Kahlo's connection to nature, while the poem does not.

Answer :

Kahlo's painting is visually detailed, depicting her and her connection to nature, while Dove's poem captures Kahlo's spirit, resilience, and emotional landscape without focusing on her physical features.

Comparing Rita Dove's poem "Sonnet in Primary Colors" to Frida Kahlo's painting Self-Portrait with Monkey and Parrot, there are notable differences in style. Kahlo's painting provides a meticulous visual representation of her appearance and connects with nature through imagery, such as the animals and foliage featured. On the other hand, Dove's poem does not delve into the specifics of Kahlo's physical features but focuses on portraying Kahlo's resilience and her emotional and psychological landscape. The painting is a direct visual representation anchored in Kahlo's unique aesthetic, while the poem operates on a more abstract, interpretive level, capturing the spirit of Kahlo's life and struggles, her association with certain ideologies shown through references to Lenin, Marx, and Stalin, and her relationship with Diego Rivera.