Which detail in the poem best conveys the speaker's feeling of low confidence when expressing his feelings of love? I Hid My Love
by John Clare (adapted excerpt)

I hid my love when young till I
Couldn't bear the buzzing of a fly;
I hid my love to my despite
Till I could not bear to look at light:
I dare not gaze upon her face
But left her memory in each place;
Where'er I saw a wild flower lie
I hugged and bade my love good-bye.

I dare not gaze upon her face

But left her memory in each place

Explanation:

The poem I Hid My Love consists of three stanzas, and the options you were given can be found in the first two. I've written them in bold letters.

I hid my love when young till I

Couldn't bear the buzzing of a fly;

I hid my love to my despite

Till I could not bear to look at light:

I dare not gaze upon her face

But left her memory in each place;

Where'er I saw a wild flower lie

I kissed and bade my love good-bye.

I met her in the greenest dells,

Where dewdrops pearl the wood bluebells;

The lost breeze kissed her bright blue eye,

The bee kissed and went singing by,

A sunbeam found a passage there,

A gold chain round her neck so fair;

As secret as the wild bee's song

She lay there all the summer long.

The pair of lines that conveys the speaker's feeling of low confidence when expressing his feelings of love is the first one: I dare not gaze upon her face  / But left her memory in each place. He wants to confess his love, but can't bring himself to do it because he lacks confidence. We've all found ourselves in similar situations. Lack of certainty and fear of rejection leads to a lack of confidence, and whenever we don't feel confident while speaking to someone, we avoid eye-contact.

The rest of the lines don't contain any information related to the speaker's confidence. This is why the first option is the correct one.