Question

the following text is from edwin arlington robinsons 1897 poem \the house on the hill.\
they are all gone away,
the house is shut and still,
there is nothing more to say.
through broken walls and gray
the winds blow bleak and shrill:
they are all gone away.
nor is there one to - day
to speak them good or ill:
there is nothing more to say.
why is it then we stray
around the sunken sill?
they are all gone away,

7 mark for review
which choice best states the main purpose of the text?
a to trace the history of a houses former inhabitants and mourn their departure
b to argue that abandoned places should be preserved rather than forgotten
c to criticize those who neglect properties until they fall into ruin
d to evoke the desolation of an abandoned dwelling that draws observers

Explanation:

• Option A: The poem does not trace the history of the former inhabitants; it focuses on the abandoned house and the feeling of desolation, not a detailed history or mourning their departure in a historical - tracing way.
• Option B: There is no argument in the poem about preserving abandoned places. The poem is more about evoking a mood rather than making an argument for preservation.
• Option C: The poem does not criticize those who neglect properties. It is centered around the abandoned house and the sense of desolation it creates, not a critique of neglect.
• Option D: The poem describes the abandoned house (shut, still, broken walls, gray, winds blowing bleak and shrill) and the fact that people still "stray" around it, evoking the desolation of the abandoned dwelling that draws observers.

Answer:

D. To evoke the desolation of an abandoned dwelling that draws observers