Vocabulary in context: in the passage about the rising sun, choose the verb that best completes the phrase "Not just to ______ the new morning right after the dark night."

Introduction / Context:
This question continues the same passage about the rising sun and its inner meaning. The sentence containing the blank reads, in simplified form, "The rising sun has great inner significance. Not just to ______ the new morning right after the dark night, but also the new rhythms and vibrations within existence." The writer wants a verb that describes the role of sunrise in announcing or beginning the new day, while the rest of the sentence explains its deeper spiritual effect.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The passage contrasts night and the new morning and associates the rising sun with awakening in nature and within us.
The verb in the blank must follow to and must connect naturally with the idea of a new morning right after the dark night.
The options are hide, herald, withhold, finish and an added distractor delay.
The overall tone is positive and celebratory, not negative or obstructive.

Concept / Approach:
We are dealing with precise verb choice in a fixed expression. In English, sunrise and dawn are often said to herald a new day, meaning they announce or signal its arrival. The alternatives hide, withhold, finish or delay all emphasise preventing, ending or postponing something, which does not match the idea of the sun allowing the new morning to arrive. We therefore look for the verb that means announce or signal, which is herald.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence and understand that the author is saying sunrise does more than simply bring in the new morning. Step 2: Realise that sunrise is associated with the arrival of the day, so the verb must express introduction, not hiding or ending. Step 3: Test herald in the blank: not just to herald the new morning right after the dark night. This means not only to announce or mark the arrival of the new morning, which fits perfectly. Step 4: Test hide, withhold, finish and delay mentally and see that none makes sense. The sun does not hide or withhold the new morning; it also does not finish it. Step 5: Conclude that herald is the only option that expresses the intended meaning.

Verification / Alternative check:
In literature and spirituality, phrases like dawn heralds a new beginning and sunrise heralds hope are very common. This confirms that herald collocates naturally with new morning. When we substitute herald into the sentence and read the next clause, but also the new rhythms and vibrations within existence, the contrast works: sunrise not only heralds the morning but also awakens inner rhythms. The logic and style are both preserved.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Hide contradicts the image of sunrise and would suggest concealing the new morning. Withhold suggests keeping something back and is incompatible with the natural unfolding of day and night. Finish would describe the end of a period, but sunrise begins the morning rather than finishing it. Delay would imply that sunrise slows the arrival of the morning, which is the opposite of the intended idea. These verbs clash with both the physical reality of sunrise and the symbolic tone of the passage.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners who are unfamiliar with the word herald might be tempted to choose a more common verb like finish simply because it is familiar, even though it does not fit the meaning. This question rewards not only vocabulary knowledge but also the ability to match words with the images and metaphors used in the text. It is helpful to remember that many literary descriptions of dawn use herald and similar verbs like announce, signal or usher in.

Final Answer:
The verb that correctly completes the phrase is herald, so option herald is correct.