Based on your understanding of the poem, select the correct central idea for each stanza from the options given.
(i) Facing challenges requires personal responsibility and a clear focus on one’s future. (ii) Facing challenges is a journey best taken with support and guidance from others.
(i)
(i) Fear and uncertainty make it difficult to make choices as the future approaches. (ii) Facing the future with confidence makes choices easier and more straightforward.
(i)
(i) Personal growth involves finding balance between comfort and change. (ii) Personal growth requires leaving behind comfort and embracing change.
(ii)
(i) The first step towards change may feel easy if you place your trust in others to guide you and provide support. (ii) The first step towards change is difficult, but having self-belief and confidence helps you stay on track.
(ii)
Explanation
Stanza 1: Option (i) is correct. The context highlights a solitary journey that stresses individual effort, and the speaker encourages the reader to take control of his/her own future, which aligns with personal responsibility rather than relying on others.
Stanza 2: Option (i) is correct. The imagery of being pushed back in fear represents a mental barrier that prevents growth, indicating that fear and uncertainty make choices difficult as the future approaches.
Stanza 3: Option (ii) is correct. The context states that comfort and the status quo represent the comfort zone that holds one back, meaning personal growth requires leaving this comfort behind and embracing change.
Stanza 4: Option (ii) is correct. The metaphor 'The first step is the hardest' and the emphasis on self-belief and confidence show that the initial step towards change is difficult but manageable through one's own inner strength, not the support of others.