Which statement best explains why Foscolo's Dei Sepolcri argues that tombs matter even for those who do not believe in an afterlife?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Tombs keep the memory of the dead alive for the living and inspire civic virtue
- Step 1: Foscolo wrote the poem in 1807 in response to the Napoleonic edict of Saint-Cloud, which required burials outside cities. Step 2. He argues that the bond with the dead is a human value: tombs build memory and example, as in the glories of Santa Croce. Answer: tombs keep memory alive and inspire civic virtue. Why not the others: the poem is not a proof of the afterlife, does not argue for abolishing rank and opposes burying the dead outside the city.
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