Question

evening and the flat land,
rich and sombre and always silent;
the miles of fresh - plowed soil,
heavy and black, full of strength and harshness;
the growing wheat, the growing weeds,
the tolling horses, the tired men;
the long empty roads,
sullen fires of sunset, fading,
the eternal, unresponsive sky.

against all this, youth,
flaming like the wild roses,
singing like the larks over the plowed fields,
flashing like a star out of the twilight;
youth with its insupportable sweetness,
its fierce necessity,
its sharp desire,
singing and singing,
out of the lips of silence,
out of the earthy dusk.
willa cather, \prairie spring\

how does the author develop the theme in this passage?

by highlighting the symbol of a rapidly setting sun, the author shows that the beauty of youth fades quickly.

by describing the song of youth coming from \lips of silence,\ the author shows that young people’s actions speak louder than their words.

by contrasting the vibrant energy of youth with the dreariness of the landscape, the author shows that youth brightens and brings hope to a sometimes dark world.

by comparing youth to roses in a harsh environment, the author shows that people are likely to have sharp edges, no matter their age.

Explanation:

1. Analyze Option 1: The poem's theme development isn't centered on a setting sun symbol for youth's beauty fading. The sun is part of the dreary landscape, not the main focus for youth's beauty.
2. Analyze Option 2: The "song of youth" from "lips of silence" doesn't relate to actions speaking louder than words. It's about youth's energy emerging from quiet/darkness, not action - word contrast.
3. Analyze Option 3: The first part of the poem describes a dreary, silent, dark landscape (e.g., "evening and the flat land, Rich and sombre and always silent;... Sullen fires of sunset, fading, The eternal, unresponsive sky"). Then youth is described as "Flaming like the wild roses, Singing like the larks... Youth with its insupportable sweetness... Singing and singing, Out of the lips of silence, Out of the earthy dusk." This contrast of youth's vibrant energy with the dreary landscape shows youth brings hope/brightness to a dark world, which fits theme development.
4. Analyze Option 4: The comparison of youth to roses isn't to show people have sharp edges. It's to show youth's vibrancy in a harsh world, not about people's edges by age.

Answer:

C. By contrasting the vibrant energy of youth with the dreariness of the landscape, the author shows that youth brightens and brings hope to a sometimes dark world.