Nature and Imagination · English Literature

In Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Mont Blanc', what is the relationship between the human mind and the mountain's 'universe of things'?

  1. The human mind is the sole creator of the mountain, which has no independent existence
  2. The mind is a completely passive mirror that contributes nothing of its own to perception
  3. The mind and the external world exchange energy, though the mountain remains an indifferent force
  4. The mountain is a benevolent, conscious deity that speaks directly and purposefully to the poet
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Correct answer: The mind and the external world exchange energy, though the mountain remains an indifferent force

Shelley explores the tension between the human imagination and the vast, often indifferent power of nature. He concludes that the mountain's power would be nothing without the human mind to perceive and interpret it.

Difficulty: Medium Question 5 of 20

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