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 speakers head was empty.
2. the mans ideas flowed rapidly.
3. the answer amused the speaker.
4. the answer was quickly forgotten.

Explanation:

A sieve is a tool with small holes that lets water pass through without being retained. Comparing the man's answer to water through a sieve means the answer did not stay in the speaker's mind—it was not retained, so it was quickly forgotten. The other options do not match the function of a sieve described in the simile.

Answer:

1. The answer was quickly forgotten.