Question

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now

Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
What is one possible theme of the poem? A. Cherry blossoms are beautiful when they bloom all at once. B. Things that are important sometimes take a long time to happen. C. Year after year, the cherry blossoms will return to be enjoyed by all. D. Life is short, so it's important to enjoy it as much as possible.

Answer 1

One possible theme of the poem is the importance of enjoying life, as reflected by the imagery of cherry blossoms and the contemplation of the speaker's own mortality.

Step-by-step explanation:

The theme of the poem hinting at the transient nature of life and the importance of cherishing the beauty around us is best represented by option D: Life is short, so it's important to enjoy it as much as possible. The poem reflects on the brevity of human life — 'threescore years and ten' signifies a lifespan of seventy years, with 'twenty will not come again' emphasizing the passage of youth. The poem's speaker resolves to appreciate the cherry blossoms throughout the fifty springs they have left, symbolizing the need to savor life’s fleeting moments.