What does the phrase “as they turn from praise” in line 8 mean?
a. as people are embarrassed by praise
b. as people do things without needing praise
c. as people usually do in spite of themselves
d. as people rarely do

a. As people are embarrassed by praise This is the correct option.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861) wrote this poem "How Do I Love Thee?" to show her unconditional love to the poet Robert Browning. The title of the poem is a question and the answer is given through the poem. So, she loves him purely and she tells him he should not get embarrassed by her love: "...I love thee freely, as men strive for right // I love thee purely, as they turn from praise..." Her love is genuine and she does not want anything in return.

These options are not right:

b. As people do things without needing praise (  Praise is a feeling not a need. In the poem, praise is related to getting too much attention).

c. As people usually do in spite of themselves ( People do not feel praise involuntarily. Something happens and this makes them feel praise).

d. As people rarely do ( The focus is not set on any frequent event , but on the loved one's feelings of embarrassment).

why does the crew join ahab's quest without hesitation?