Which theme replaced the memento mori theme in metaphysical poetry?

• A. The immediacy of love and the mind.
• B. The contemplation of nature's beauty.
• C. The epic historical narrative.
• D. The political power of the state.

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is how metaphysical poets shift their focus from a meditation on death to using the natural world as a doorway to deeper truth. In metaphysical poetry, the stark reminder of mortality (remember you must die) is often tempered by turning to nature’s beauty as a conduit for reflection on life, creation, and the divine. Nature becomes a way to think about eternity and the soul, not just about the fleeting present or death itself. So the theme that replaces memento mori is the contemplation of nature’s beauty, because it provides a route to meaningful spiritual and philosophical inquiry through the sensory world. The other themes—love and the mind, epic history, or political power—don’t function as the broad replacement for the mortality-centered impulse in this poetic movement.