Passage: Snowy Mountains
Snowy Mountains
by John Gould Fletcher
Higher and still more high, Palaces made for cloud, Above the dingy city-roofs Blue-white like angels with broad wings, Pillars of the sky at rest The mountains from the great plateau Uprise.
But the world heeds them not; They have been here now for too long a time. The world makes war on them, Tunnels their granite cliffs, Splits down their shining sides, Plasters their cliffs with soap-advertisements, Destroys the lonely fragments of their peace.
Vaster and still more vast, Peak after peak, pile after pile, Wilderness still untamed, To which the future is as was the past, Barrier spread by Gods, Sunning their shining foreheads, Barrier broken down by those who do not need The joy of time-resisting storm-worn stone, The mountains swing along The south horizon of the sky; Welcoming with wide floors of blue-green ice The mists that dance and drive before the sun.
“Snowy Mountains” by John Gould Fletcher—Public Domain
Which line from the poem best supports the idea that people have forfeited priceless natural beauty in order to make a profit?
- A“Above the dingy city-roofs” (line 3)
- B“The world makes war on them,” (line 10)
- C“Tunnels their granite cliffs,” (line 11)
- D“Plasters their cliffs with soap-advertisements,” (line 13)
Show the answer
Correct answer: D
The question asks for the line from the poem that best supports the idea that people have forfeited natural beauty for profit. Advertisements are often used as a means to gain a profit, as implied by the soap advertisement in line 13 (Option D). Additionally, the word “Plasters,” in line 13, communicates a negative connotation for the use of advertisements on the priceless natural beauty of the mountains, making Option D the correct response.
Option A is incorrect because, while city roofs may spoil the natural beauty, they do not directly symbolize financial gain or profit in line 3.
Option B is incorrect because, although making a profit might have been the root cause of the damage that was done to the mountains, making war on the mountains is not a direct message about profit or financial gain in line 10.
Option C is incorrect because, although tunneling through the mountains affects the natural beauty of the mountains, it does not directly symbolize financial gain or profit in line 11.