Question

Read Out, Out by Robert Frost. Then, answer the question that follows. The buzz saw snarled and rattled in the yard And made dust and dropped stove-length sticks of wood, Sweet-scented stuff when the breeze drew across it. And from there those that lifted eyes could count Five mountain ranges one behind the other Under the sunset far into Vermont. And the saw snarled and rattled, snarled and rattled, As it ran light, or had to bear a load. And nothing happened: day was all but done. Call it a day, I wish they might have said To please the boy by giving him the half hour That a boy counts so much when saved from work. His sister stood beside him in her apron To tell them Supper. At the word, the saw, As if to prove saws knew what supper meant, Leaped out at the boy's hand, or seemed to leap— He must have given the hand. However it was, Neither refused the meeting. But the hand! The boy's first outcry was a rueful laugh, As he swung toward them holding up the hand Half in appeal, but half as if to keep The life from spilling. Then the boy saw all— Since he was old enough to know, big boy Doing a man's work, though a child at heart— He saw all spoiled. Don't let him cut my hand off— The doctor, when he comes. Don't let him, sister! So. But the hand was gone already. The doctor put him in the dark of ether. He lay and puffed his lips out with his breath. And then—the watcher at his pulse took fright. No one believed. They listened at his heart. Little—less—nothing!—and that ended it. No more to build on there. And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs. Match each plot element to the description of an event from the poem. Match Term Definition Exposition A) The boy's hand is severed by the saw; he becomes aware of the severity of the situation, and grows up in an instant. Rising action B) The boy's sister calls him inside to dinner and the buzz saw moves unexpectedly. Climax C) The others resume their lives after the boy's death. Falling action D) At sunset, a boy in Vermont is using a buzz saw to cut wood for the stove. Resolution E) The doctor gives the boy ether to numb the pain, but it is too late for medical assistance, and he passes away.

Answer 1

In Robert Frost's poem "Out, Out," the plot elements can be matched as follows:

• Exposition: D) At sunset, a boy in Vermont is using a buzz saw to cut wood for the stove.
• Rising Action: B) The boy's sister calls him inside to dinner and the buzz saw moves unexpectedly.
• Climax: E) The doctor gives the boy ether to numb the pain, but it is too late for medical assistance, and he passes away.
• Falling Action: A) The boy's hand is severed by the saw; he becomes aware of the severity of the situation and grows up in an instant.
• Resolution: C) The others resume their lives after the boy's death.

Step-by-step explanation:

The exposition introduces the setting and the initial situation in the poem, highlighting a boy using a buzz saw at sunset in Vermont. The rising action unfolds as the boy's sister calls him in for dinner, and an unexpected event occurs with the buzz saw.

The climax, the turning point of the narrative, arrives when the boy's hand is severed by the saw, marking a tragic and pivotal moment.

The falling action follows as the boy becomes aware of the severity of the situation and matures abruptly.

Finally, the resolution presents the aftermath, where others in the poem resume their lives after the boy's tragic death.

This structure aligns with the classic narrative arc, providing a coherent and impactful sequence of events in Frost's exploration of the fragility of life and the abruptness of tragedy.