Question:medium

Instructions: Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

Passage (D. H. Lawrence, 1885-1930, from Apocalypse, 1931): “For man, the vast marvel is to be alive. For man as for flower and beast and bird, the supreme triumph is to be most vividly, most perfectly alive. Whatever the unborn and the dead may know, they cannot know the beauty, the marvel of being alive in the flesh. The dead may look after the afterwards. But the magnificent here and now of life in the flesh is ours, and ours alone, and ours only for a time. We ought to dance with rapture, that we should be alive and in the flesh, and part of the living, incarnate cosmos. I am part of the sun as my eye is part of me. That I am part of the earth my feet know perfectly, and my blood is part of the sea. My soul knows that I am part of the human race, my soul is an organic part of the great human soul, as my spirit is part of my nation. In my own very self, I am part of my family. There is nothing of me that is alone and absolute except my mind, and we shall find that the mind has no existence by itself, it is only the glitter of the sun on the surface of the waters.”

By “triumph” the author means:

Show Hint

“Triumph” is a positive, celebratory word in everyday English; match it to the one option with the same positive charge.
Updated On: Jul 15, 2026
  • sin
  • loss
  • sorrow
  • victory
Show Solution

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept.
“Triumph” is being used here as a noun describing the highest achievement of being alive.

Step 2: Recall the everyday meaning of the word.
In common English, “triumph” means a great success or victory, often accompanied by a sense of celebration.

Step 3: Match this against the passage's tone.
The passage praises being alive as something to “dance with rapture” about, which fits a celebratory word like victory, not a negative word like sin, loss, or sorrow.

Step 4: Final Answer.
“Triumph” means victory, so option D is correct.
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