Question

"The Old Swimmin’ Hole" by James Whitcomb Riley

OH! the old swimmin’–hole! whare the crick so still and deep
Looked like a baby-river that was laying half asleep,
And the gurgle of the worter round the drift jest below
Sounded like the laugh of something we onc't ust to know
Before we could remember anything but the eyes
Of the angels lookin' out as we left Paradise;
But the merry days of youth is beyond our controle,
And it's hard to part ferever with the old swimmin'–hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'–hole! In the happy days of yore,
When I ust to lean above it on the old sickamore,
Oh! it showed me a face in its warm sunny tide
That gazed back at me so gay and glorified,
It made me love myself, as I leaped to caress
My shadder smilin' up at me with sich tenderness.
But them days is past and gone, and old Time's tuck his toll
From the old man come back to the old swimmin'–hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'–hole! In the long, lazy-days
When the humdrum of school made so many run-a-ways,
How plesant was the jurney down the old dusty lane,
Whare the tracks of our bare feet was all printed so plane
You could tell by the dent of the heel and the sole
They was lots o'fun on hands at the old swimmin'–hole.
But the lost joys is past! Let your tears in sorrow roll
Like the rain that ust to dapple up the old swimmin'–hole.

There the bullrushes growed, and the cattails so tall,
And the sunshine and shadder fell over it all;
And it mottled the worter with amber and gold
Tel the glad lilies rocked in the ripples that rolled;
And the snake-feeder's four gauzy wings fluttered by
Like the ghost of a daisy dropped out of the sky,
Or a wounded apple-blossom in the breeze's controle
As it cut acrost some orchurd to'rds the old swimmin'–hole.

Oh! the old swimmin'—hole! When I last saw the place,
The scene was all changed, like the change in my face;
The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot
Whare the old divin'–log lays sunk and fergot.
And I stray down the banks whare the trees ust to be –
But never again will theyr shade shelter me!
And I wish in my sorrow I could strip to the soul,
And dive off in my grave like the old swimmin'–hole.

The speaker of this poem felt a strong positive connection with nature at the swimming hole. Which three of these lines from the poem best illustrate that idea?

Choose one answer from each group. Type the LETTER ONLY for each answer in the correct blank.

Type B, C, or D for Blank 1.

When I ust to lean above it on the old sickamore,
Oh! it showed me a face in its warm sunny tide

But never again will theyr shade shelter me!
And I wish in my sorrow I could strip to the soul,

But the lost joys is past! Let your tears in sorrow roll
Like the rain that ust to dapple up the old swimmin’–hole.

Type E, F, or G for Blank 2.
The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot
Whare the old divin'-log lays sunk and fergot.

But the merry days of youth is beyond our controle,
And it's hard to part ferever with the old swimmin’–hole.

How plesant was the jurney down the old dusty lane,
Whare the tracks of our bare feet was all printed so plane

Type H, I, or J for Blank 3.
And the sunshine and shadder fell over it all;
And it mottled the worter with amber and gold

The scene was all changed, like the change in my face;
The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot

Whare the old divin'-log lays sunk and fergot.
And I stray down the banks whare the trees ust to be –

Answer 1

The answer for Blank 1 is

B) When I ust to lean above it on the old sickamore,

Oh! it showed me a face in its warm sunny tide

(These lines talk about the connection with nature in a very sensitive and emotional way)

Incorrect options:

C) But never again will theyr shade shelter me!

And I wish in my sorrow I could strip to the soul,

(These lines talk about the suffering of not having that interaction with nature anymore and how it affects the writer)

D) But the lost joys is past! Let your tears in sorrow roll

Like the rain that ust to dapple up the old swimmin’–hole.

(These lines talk about the acceptance of lost even through the immense pain)

The answer for Blank 2 is.

G) How plesant was the jurney down the old dusty lane,

Whare the tracks of our bare feet was all printed so plane

(These lines talk about a happy feeling that the writer felt towards this place and brings back all the emotion for nature)

Incorrect options:

E) The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot

Whare the old divin'-log lays sunk and fergot.

(These lines talk about how the all place has changed and it makes a comparison)

F) But the merry days of youth is beyond our controle,

And it's hard to part ferever with the old swimmin’–hole.

(These lines talk about how the writer has to leave all in the past because is not up to him to rescue the old place)

The answer for Blank 3 is.

J) Whare the old divin'-log lays sunk and fergot.

And I stray down the banks whare the trees ust to be –

(These lines talk about how the writer would like to be right were the nature he loved used to be to feel that he is part of it)

Incorrect options:

H) And the sunshine and shadder fell over it all;

And it mottled the worter with amber and gold

(These lines talk about a very romantic description of the landscape, even when it shows a deep love for nature doesn't the level of connection we can notice in letter J)

I) The scene was all changed, like the change in my face;

The bridge of the railroad now crosses the spot

(These lines makes a comparison of past and present)