Identify the line that signals the opening sense of safety.

• A. We are prepared: we build our houses squat.
• B. It is a huge nothing that we fear.
• C. Strafes invisibly; we are bombarded by the empty air.
• D. The ending

Answer: (A)

The opening sense of safety is signaled by the line that asserts calm, confident control over danger. When the speaker says “We are prepared: we build our houses squat,” it frames security through deliberate action—being ready and creating sturdy, grounded shelter. The word “prepared” conveys a sense of mastery and protection, while “houses squat” evokes solid, earthbound safety rather than fragility. This combination establishes a stable, protective routine at the start, before the poem moves into the disruptions of war. The other lines shift the mood toward fear and threat, so they don’t offer the same initial feeling of security.