Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this
poem.
Which explanation about "I Explain a Few Things" best develops
the speaker's viewpoint that adversity only makes his compatriots
stronger?
By stating that citizens will "rise up / to drown you in a
O single wave," the speaker indicates they are
determined to overcome their opponents.
The image of flames coming out of the earth to devour
O people shows the level of suffering the war causes
citizens to endure.
The image of jackals and vipers illustrates that the
opponents are savage and will fight viciously in order
to win the war.
By describing the "Bandits with airplanes and with
O Moors," the speaker demonstrates that these
aggressors will not be tolerated.