Question

Read the poem that celebrates mountain climbing.

To the Mountains

Let there be light, the sky

Declares. And the sun answers.

Yellow ribbons cascade across

A serrated skyline, filling each valley

Until it bursts.



Alpine mornings wake in defiance

Of gravity. The rock opens its hands,

Draws men up, through the light.

Distant summits, where the earth

Meets the heavens.



The earth shifts through each ribbon,

Like water, an ocean of rock

Braced against, all that space.

Where men drift, a sea above and below,

And reach.

Question 1
Part A

What is the connotative meaning of yellow ribbons cascade in the first stanza?


stars descend


shadows fall


lightning crashes


sunlight floods

Question 2
Part B

How does the connotative meaning of yellow ribbons cascade, identified in Part A, affect the mood of the poem?


It sets a cautious mood as a storm moves over the mountains.


It develops a peaceful mood as the sun begins to set.


It suggests a somber mood as shade covers the mountains.


It creates a welcoming mood as climbers prepare for the ascent.

Answer 1

1. speeches made by characters in a story = dialogue

Dialogue refers to a speech in which at least two people are talking. In literature, there are different types of speeches: we have monologues (when only one person is talking and others are listening), soliloquys (when one person is alone and speaking), dialogues (when at least two people are speaking to each other), etc.

2. present-day = contemporary

The word contemporary comes from Latin, where con- means together, and tempus means time. So literally, this word means 'together with time,' which can be roughly translated as now, in the present, at the moment, at the moment of speaking.

3. struggle within one person's mind = internal conflict

There are many types of conflict, which refers to some kind of struggle. You can have a conflict within yourself (internal conflict), a conflict with another person (man vs. man), a conflict with a lot of people (man vs. society), or generally with life (man vs. nature).

4. talkative = garrulous

Like many words in English, the word garrulous also comes from Latin. It is derived from Latin verb garrire, which means to chatter, to prattle (which means to talk excessively). So the adjective garrulous in contemporary English refers to someone who is talking a lot about something trivial.

5. all-seeing, all-knowing = omniscient

Like many words mentioned above, the word omniscient also comes from Latin. It is derived from Latin pronoun omnis (meaning everything), and verb scire (meaning to know). So when translated literally, omniscient means to know everything.

6. submissive = obsequious

The word obsequious also comes from Latin; it is derived from the verb obsequi, which means to follow, to comply with. When added the English suffix for adjectives -ous, the word obsequious represents a servile person, someone who is practically grovelling before someone more powerful.

7. a single happening in a story = incident

Incident, also known as event, is a happening within a story. It can refer to something rather small and unimportant, or something crucial that can change the course of the story. When referred to several incidents/events together, we are talking about plot of a story.

8. savage = barbarian

When this word was created, barbarian was used to denote a person who wasn't a part of a great civilization such as Christian, Roman, or Greek. Over time, the meaning changed slightly to denote someone who is very crude, uncultured, or brutish.

9. necklace = riviere

Although the word riviere literally means river in French, it is used in English to refer to a type of a necklace. It is a specific kind of a necklace - usually made of diamonds or other gemstones of same kind and size, connected in order to create a beautiful decoration.

10. weird = eerie

The word eerie comes from Old Germanic languages, and refers to something strange, weird, but also a bit frightening. Today, it is usually used to refer to mysterious and creepy locations (usually in horror and suspense stories, such as in those written by Poe).

Step-by-step explanation: