The right answer is "B. Lifelessness
"
The whole text expresses a sad, discouraged and lifeless feeling.
The passage that makes this more evident is:
<em> " All along the road the reddish
</em>
<em>purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
</em>
<em>stuff of bushes and small trees
</em>
<em>with dead, brown leaves under them
</em>
<em>leafless vines </em>
<em>
</em>
<em>Lifeless in appearance, sluggish
</em>
<em>dazed spring approaches"</em>
