The first stanza of Countee Cullen’s “A Brown Girl Dead” reads: “With two white roses on her breasts,/White candles at head and feet,/Dark Madonna of the grave she rests;/Lord Death has found her sweet.” Which of the following statements accurately characterizes these lines ?

Question

The first stanza of Countee Cullen’s “A Brown Girl Dead” reads: “With two white roses on her breasts,/White candles at head and feet,/Dark Madonna of the grave she rests;/Lord Death has found her sweet.” Which of the following statements accurately characterizes these lines ?

Answer 1

A. These lines evoke Christian imagery to emphasize the dignity of the girl who died.
B. These lines evoke Christian imagery to suggest that death erases racial divisions.
C. These lines present the problem of racial prejudice in an ironic mode.
D. Both A and B

Correct Answer: Both A and B ✔

Last Updated: August 21, 2020