Question

from the white knights song
ill tell thee everything i can:
theres little to relate.
i saw an aged, aged man,
a-sitting on a gate.

\who are you, aged man?\ i said.
\and how is it you live?\
and his answer trickled through my head,
like water through a sieve.

(from \the white knights song\ by lewis carroll)

which does the simile in the last two lines mean?

○ 1. the speaker’s head was empty.

○ 2. the man’s ideas flowed rapidly.

○ 3. the answer amused the speaker.

○ 4. the answer was quickly forgotten.

Explanation:

A simile compares two things using "like" or "as". The simile here is "his answer trickled through my head, Like water through a sieve". A sieve has holes, so water passes through it and is not retained. Similarly, the answer passed through the speaker's head without being remembered, meaning it was quickly forgotten. Option 1 is incorrect as the head being empty isn't implied. Option 2 is wrong because the simile is about retention, not speed of flow. Option 3 is incorrect as there's no indication of amusement.

Answer:

1. The answer was quickly forgotten.