Question

the habit of life
by a. gautam
i sent a letter in the mail
to my friend across the sea.
but i never heard from her.
i wondered, if she thought of me.

when people move they do forget,
the old times and old stories, too.
new places, faces replace
memories with friendships new.

then she wrote years later,
i knew i still mattered to her.
she wrote that life was a habit,
and asked if i was good at it.

2
what statement does the theme of this poem make?
a. people are busy for years when they move.
b. most new things always replace old things.
c. friends are always lost, and found again.
d. most things we do in life are out of habit.

Explanation:

The poem first touches on how new experiences replace old friendships when people move, then concludes with the friend's line that "life was a habit". Option A is incorrect as the poem doesn't focus on busyness. Option B is only a partial detail, not the overarching theme. Option C is wrong because the friendship wasn't "found again" in a meaningful, reconnected way. Option D aligns with the closing, thematic line about life being a habit, which frames the earlier events of fading connection as part of habitual life changes.

Answer:

D. Most things we do in life are out of habit.