Question

The Snow-Storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields, Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven, And veils the farm-house at the garden's end. The sled and traveler stopped, the courier's feet Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed In a tumultuous privacy of storm. Come see the north wind's masonry. Out of an unseen quarry evermore Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer Curves his white bastions with projected roof Round every windward stake, or tree, or door. Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he For number or proportion. Mockingly, On coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths; A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn; Fills up the farmer's lane from wall to wall, Maugre the farmer's sighs; and, at the gate, A tapering turret overtops the work. And when his hours are numbered, and the world Is all his own, retiring, as he were not, Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone, Built in an age, the mad wind's night-work, The frolic architecture of the snow. Question 1 Part A What inference can be drawn from "The Snow-Storm"? The wild changes brought by a snowstorm are brief, and human works are easily rebuilt. The wild changes brought about by a snowstorm are all a welcome change of pace. The snowstorm is a force of nature people simply cannot control. The snowstorm is a welcome event for many people, as they sit inside by a fire. Question 2 Part B Which evidence from the text best supports the answer in Part A? "Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed In a tumultuous privacy of storm." "And when his hours are numbered, and the world Is all his own, retiring, as he were not, Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone." "So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he For number or proportion. Mockingly; . . . Fills up the farmer’s lane from wall to wall, Maugre the farmer sighs;" "Come see the north wind’s masonry. Out of an unseen quarry evermore Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer Curves his white bastions with projected roof​

Answer 1

Answer:

The inference that can be drawn from the poem is:

C. The snowstorm is a force of nature people simply cannot control.

The evidence that best supports the answer above is:

C. "So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he For number or proportion. Mockingly; . . . Fills up the farmer’s lane from wall to wall, Maugre the farmer sighs;"

Explanation:

In Ralph Waldo Emerson's poem, the snowstorm does not care if people have plans or itineraries. It is such a tremendous force that people can do nothing but wait patiently for it to pass. Uncontrollable and savage, the snowstorm will force farmers and travelers to delay their work and designs. In some cases, it may be a welcome change, but that is not what the poem focuses on. It is not just about the people who get to sit inside and enjoy the fire's warmth. It is about not having control over nature, not being able to make the storm go away faster.

Answer 2

Answer:

Part A: The snowstorm is a force of nature people simply cannot control.

Part B: "So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he

For number or proportion. Mockingly; . . .

Fills up the farmer’s lane from wall to wall,

Maugre the farmer sighs;"

Explanation: