Final answer:
The speaker in Emily Dickinson's poem views the wind as a pleasant visitor, based on the poem's amicable and gentle characterizations of the wind, such as comparing it to a tired but polite guest and describing its presence as lively but intangible. Option a is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based off the figurative language used by Emily Dickinson in her poem “the wind’s visit,” it can be deduced that the speaker perceives the wind as a pleasant visitor. This is evident through various instances where the wind is described in an amicable and gentle manner. For instance, when the wind “tapped like a tired man,” it exemplifies a polite gesture often associated with a guest seeking entry. Moreover, when the speaker boldly invites the wind in, it reflects a welcoming attitude towards the wind’s presence.
The poem also refers to the wind as a “footless guest,” illustrating that it is an ethereal presence that cannot be offered the usual comforts of a chair or a sofa, thus reinforcing the idea of the wind being an ethereal, gentle visitor. Furthermore, the wind's characteristics are lovingly described, such as having a speech comparable to the “push of numerous humming-birds at once,” which conveys a sense of delicate liveliness.
Ultimately, the wind departs as suddenly as it arrives, “still flitting,” and leaves behind a sense of solitude. The description of the wind’s departure — “then, like a timid man,” followed by a hurried tapping — suggests a shy, retiring visitor rather than an unwelcome or imposing force. Thus, option (a) The wind is a pleasant visitor best describes the speaker’s view of the wind as per the poem's figurative language.