Question

Read the following passage carefully before you choose your answer.

(1) I spent the following day roaming through the valley. I stood beside the sources of the Arveiron, which take their rise in a glacier, that with slow pace is advancing down from the summit of the hills to barricade the valley. The abrupt sides of vast mountains were before me; the icy wall of the glacier overhung me; a few shattered pines were scattered around; and the solemn silence of this glorious presence-chamber of imperial nature was broken only by the brawling waves or the fall of some vast fragment, the thunder sound of the avalanche or the cracking, reverberated along the mountains, of the accumulated ice, which, through the silent working of immutable laws, was ever and anon rent and torn, as if it had been but a plaything in their hands. These sublime and magnificent scenes afforded me the greatest consolation that I was capable of receiving. They elevated me from all littleness of feeling, and although they did not remove my grief, they subdued and tranquillized it. In some degree, also, they diverted my mind from the thoughts over which it had brooded for the last month. I retired to rest at night; my slumbers, as it were, waited on and ministered to by the assemblance of grand shapes which I had contemplated during the day. They congregated round me; the unstained snowy mountain-top, the glittering pinnacle, the pine woods, and ragged bare ravine, the eagle, soaring amidst the clouds—they all gathered round me and bade me be at peace.

(2) Where had they fled when the next morning I awoke? All of soul-inspiriting fled with sleep, and dark melancholy clouded every thought. The rain was pouring in torrents, and thick mists hid the summits of the mountains, so that I even saw not the faces of those mighty friends. Still I would penetrate their misty veil and seek them in their cloudy retreats. What were rain and storm to me? My mule was brought to the door, and I resolved to ascend to the summit of Montanvert. I remembered the effect that the view of the tremendous and ever-moving glacier had produced upon my mind when I first saw it. It had then filled me with a sublime ecstasy that gave wings to the soul and allowed it to soar from the obscure world to light and joy. The sight of the awful and majestic in nature had indeed always the effect of solemnizing my mind and causing me to forget the passing cares of life. I determined to go without a guide, for I was well acquainted with the path, and the presence of another would destroy the solitary grandeur of the scene.

In the first paragraph, the mountains are presented as

Question 1 options:

barren


fecund


idyllic


indifferent


overpowering

Answer 1

The mountains are depicted as overpowering in the first paragraph, with vast, abrupt sides, an advancing glacier, and dynamic natural forces. The surroundings emphasize their majestic and formidable presence.

The first paragraph paints a vivid picture of the mountains as overpowering entities in the narrator's experience. The use of phrases like "vast mountains," "icy wall of the glacier," and "summit of the hills" conveys a sense of immense scale and dominance. The mountains are described as having "abrupt sides," emphasizing their steep and formidable nature. The glacier, slowly advancing down the hills, is portrayed as a force that could potentially barricade the entire valley, underscoring its overwhelming presence.

The surroundings contribute to the portrayal of the mountains as overpowering, with shattered pines scattered around and the solemn silence of the natural setting. The mention of brawling waves, thunder sounds of avalanches, and the cracking of ice highlights the dynamic and powerful forces at play in this environment. The mountains are personified as having a "glorious presence-chamber of imperial nature," suggesting a majestic and regal demeanor.

The narrator finds consolation in these sublime and magnificent scenes, indicating that while overpowering, the mountains also have a tranquilizing effect, elevating the narrator beyond "littleness of feeling." Overall, the portrayal evokes a sense of awe and reverence for the overpowering and majestic nature of the mountains.