【正确答案】：
THE POEM PRESENTS THE MEDITATION ON AN AGING YOUNG MAN OVER THE BUSINESS OF PROPOSING MARRIAGE. THE POEM IS IN A FORM OF DRAMATIC MONOLOGUE, SUGGESTING AN IRONIC CONTRAST BETWEEN A PRETENDED “LOVE SONG” AND A CONFESSION OF THE SPEAKER'S INCAPABILITY OF FACING UP TO LOVE AND TO LIFE IN A STERILE UPPER-CLASS WORLD. THE PROTAGONIST IS NEUROTIC, SELF-IMPORTANT, ILLOGICAL AND INCAPABLE OF ACTION. HE IS A TRAGIC FIGURE CAUGHT IN A SENSE OF DEFEATED IDEALISM AND TORTURED BY UNSATISFIED DESIRES. THE SETTING OF THE POEM RESEMBLES THE “POLITE SOCIETY” OF POPE'S “THE RAPE OF THE LOCK," IN WHICH A TEA PARTY IS A SIGNIFICANT EVENT AND A GAME OF CARDS IS THE ONLY WAY TO STAVE OFF BOREDOM.
【题目解析】：本题考查这首诗的主题、写作风格、主人公的特点和背景。主题：一位年老的年轻人对求婚的沉思。写作风格：戏剧独白的形式，暗示了一种讽刺的对比，一种是假装的“情歌”，另一种是承认演讲者无法面对爱情和贫瘠的上层社会生活。主人公特点：神经质，自大，不合逻辑，不能行动。他是一个悲剧人物，被挫败的理想主义所困扰，被未满足的欲望所折磨。写作背景：类似于波普的《锁的强奸》中的“上流社会”，在这首诗中，茶话会是一个重大事件，纸牌游戏是避免无聊的唯一方法。