Explain Evidence & Reasoning: Poetry Practice Test

Read the following excerpt from an original poem:

My mother labels every jar in careful script—

SAGE, RICE, BUTTONS—so nothing strays unnamed.

But my brother’s laugh arrives untagged,

spilling through the hallway like loose change.

A student argues that the poem contrasts a desire for control with the uncontrollable vitality of human presence. Which choice best explains how the bolded lines support that claim through clear evidence-to-reasoning connection?

Read the following excerpt from an original poem:

In the kitchen, I rinse the same cup twice,

watching the last tea-stain loosen like a bruise.

My father’s chair keeps its square of shadow

even when the sun moves on.

A student argues that the speaker’s grief is portrayed as repetitive and unresolved. Which choice best explains how the bolded details support that interpretation by connecting evidence to reasoning?