Question

Which line from Daly's "Sixteen" best conveys the narrator's feeling of longing?

Answer 1

Answer:

"I can't think of anything, anything but snowflakes and ice skates and yellow moon and Thursday night."

Explanation:

This question is not full as it is missing the option for the answer.

The options are:

1. "He was whistling softly and I waited until the sound faded away so I couldn't tell if it was he or my heart whistling out there in night."
2. "The air was tense with sudden cold and a gust of wind swirled his footprints into the white oblivion."
3. "Tonight is Tuesday and my homework's done, and I darned some stocking that didn't really need it."
4. "I can't think of anything, anything but snowflakes and ice skates and yellow moon and Thursday night."

The correct answer is 4. "I can't think of anything, anything but snowflakes and ice skates and yellow moon and Thursday night."

In this line, the narrator of Daly's novel talks about details she remembers dearly from the night she meets the man she is longing for. She remembers it was Thursday, she remembers the snow and the skating and saying she can't think of anything else but these details. With this description of the exact details of the night, the narrator shows how much she remembers, how important the night was to her, and how much she wishes to return to it.

The first two options, 1 and 2, are describing the events from the night, and the 3 is just what is happening in the present tense. But in the sentence under option 4 we can see the full strength of her longing and strong emotions.