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
Read line 5 from the poem.
Pillars of the sky at rest
The line helps develop the theme of the poem by suggesting that the mountains
- Aserve a noble and supportive purpose in the world.
- Battract the clouds with their strength and permanence.
- Cremain untamed through the ages.
- Dprovide protection for the people.
Show the answer
Correct answer: A
The question asks how the line from the poem helps develop the theme of the poem. Line 5 helps develop the theme that the mountains are more important than people realize by suggesting that the mountains serve a noble, foundational purpose in the world, as explained in Option A.
Option B is incorrect because, while the poem does describe the strength and permanence of the mountains, the line does not suggest that these traits attract the clouds.
Option C is incorrect because, while the line states that the highest peaks are “at rest,” the mountains mentioned in the poem have already been harmed by human influence and do not remain untamed or untouched.
Option D is incorrect because, while pillars are strong and may indicate shelter, there is no suggestion in the line that the mountains are protecting the people. Additionally, this concept is not a theme of the poem.