Question

Which line from the poem “Edge” contains an allusion?
A.
“The woman is perfected”
B.
“Feet seem to be saying”
C.
“Each dead child coiled”
D.
“The illusion of a Greek necessity”

Answer 1

If we know that an allusion is a making of some kind of casual or indirect reference to something, then we know that our options here may be very limited.

The poem goes like this.....

The woman is perfected.
Her dead

Body wears the smile of accomplishment,
The illusion of a Greek necessity

Flows in the scrolls of her toga,
Her bare

Feet seem to be saying:
We have come so far, it is over.

Each dead child coiled, a white serpent,
One at each little

Pitcher of milk, now empty.
She has folded

Them back into her body as petals
Of a rose close when the garden

Stiffens and odors bleed
From the sweet, deep throats of the night flower.

The moon has nothing to be sad about,
Staring from her hood of bone.

She is used to this sort of thing.
Her blacks crackle and drag.


(I pasted it to help gain context for the both of our sakes)

Now, when it comes to eliminating options the first one I'd go for is A.
Overall, the poem talks of somebody who once was something now has morphed into something else. Thats as simple as I can put it....at least from a glance.
When we are looking for something alludes to something, we don't want to look for the obvious because that is the opposite of allusion.
So the reason I'd eliminate A is because it's merely isn't saying anything.
"The woman is perfected" -- this is just a general wording that is part of the poem but doesn't allude to anything.
Does that make sense? :)
Now, you try to eliminate one! @olodid_ti