Question

Read this excerpt from "Spring and All"

by William Carlos Williams
By the road to the contagious hospital
under the surge of the blue mottled clouds driven from the northeast - a cold wind. Beyond, the
waste of broad, muddy fields brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen
patches of standing water
the scattering of tall trees
All along the road the reddish purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
stuff of bushes and small trees with dead, brown leaves under them
leafless vines Lifeless in appearance, sluggish
dazed spring approaches
What connotations do many of the words in the except have in common?
A. Travel
B. Death
C. New life
D. Ecstasy

Answer 1

The common connotations of the words in the excerpt from 'Spring and All' suggest themes of death and decay, creating a vivid picture of a lifeless environment awaiting the arrival of spring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The connotations that many of the words in the excerpt from "Spring and All" by William Carlos Williams have in common relate to the concept of death and decay. Words like 'contagious hospital,' 'muddy fields,' 'dried weeds,' 'standing water,' 'dead, brown leaves,' 'leafless vines,' and 'lifeless in appearance' all evoke images of lifelessness and the end of a life cycle. These words create a stark backdrop for the sluggish approach of spring, hinting at a contrast between the current desolation and the potential for new life that spring may eventually bring.