Read the following poem carefully before answering the question.
The orchard stood in sunlit, golden grace,
Where heavy branches bowed to touch the grass,
And lazy bees hummed low from place to place,
Content to let the summer afternoon pass.
But when the sudden shadow crossed the hill,
A sharp, metallic whistle split the air;
The hum of wings grew desolate and still,
And branches shivered in the sudden glare.
The golden fruit, once sweet and warm to sight,
Now seemed like heavy stones of hardened clay;
The garden waited, braced against the night,
As all the lazy warmth was swept away.
In the poem, the speaker's attitude undergoes a transition from which of the following?
- Anostalgic longing to bitter resentment
- Bdetached curiosity to intense emotional grief
- Clighthearted amusement to profound despair
- tranquil contentment to apprehensive vulnerabilityAnswer
- Eeager anticipation to sudden disappointment
Answer
The correct answer is tranquil contentment to apprehensive vulnerability.
The correct option is 'tranquil contentment to apprehensive vulnerability'. The poem begins with a peaceful description of an orchard in 'sunlit, golden grace' with 'lazy bees,' establishing a tone of tranquil contentment. The conjunction 'But' in line 5 signals a shift as a shadow and a 'sharp, metallic whistle' disrupt this tranquility. The subsequent imagery of the branches shiviering and the garden waiting 'braced against the night' develops a tone of apprehensive vulnerability in the face of an impending threat.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Analyzing tonal shifts and contrasts in poetry