Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :

The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners on hearing the sound
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered
And he fell on his knees to the ground.

He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I'm standing here telling the story
Now it's a strange one, but here's what occurred

The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they turned round and came back to help him
And lifted the lad to his feet.

That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And the banner above and nine smiling faces
Said more than these words ever will
Said more than these words ever will

The message of the poem is ________.

Cooperation and empathy

The correct option for the message of the poem is: Cooperation and empathy

Here's why:

• The entire poem revolves around the actions of the runners following the youngest runner's stumble.
• They choose to stop, despite training and competing for the race, to help him up and finish together.
• This emphasizes cooperation and putting aside individual competition for the sake of empathy and compassion.
• While friendship and attention might play a role, the core message lies in the runners' willingness to prioritize helping someone in need over winning the race.
• "How to win" is not the message as the focus is not on winning alone, but on the value of human connection and supporting one another.

Therefore, cooperation and empathy most accurately encapsulate the poem's central message of prioritizing human connection and helping others, even in a competitive context.