The Lighted Window

Question

by Sara Teasdale

He said:
"In the winter dusk
When the pavements were gleaming with rain,
I walked thru a dingy street
5 Hurried, harassed,
Thinking of all my problems that never are solved.
Suddenly out of the mist, a flaring gas-jet
Shone from a huddled shop.
I saw thru the bleary window
10 A mass of playthings:
False-faces hung on strings,
Valentines, paper and tinsel,
Tops of scarlet and green,
Candy, marbles, jacks—
15 A confusion of color
Candy, marbles, jacks—
Pathetically gaudy and cheap.
All of my boyhood
Rushed back.
20 Once more these things were treasures
Wildly desired.
With covetous eyes I looked again at the marbles,
The precious agates, the pee-wees, the chinies—*
Then I passed on.
25 In the winter dusk,
The precious agates, the pee-wees, the chinies—
I left my boyhood."
Select ALL the correct answers.
Which two details from "The Lighted Window" develop the theme?
A confusion of color
Once more these things were treasures
Pathetically gaudy and cheap.
Shone from a huddled shop.
Then I passed on.
Thinking of all my problems that never are solved.

Answer 1

The two details from "The Lighted Window" that develop the theme are:

1. Once more these things were treasures - This line highlights the nostalgic and innocent perception of childhood, emphasizing a longing for simpler times and the value placed on childhood treasures.

2. Thinking of all my problems that never are solved. - This line sets the tone of the adult's perspective, contrasting the burdens of adulthood with the carefree desires of childhood, thereby deepening the theme of loss and the passage of time.

These details contribute to the exploration of memory, nostalgia, and the contrast between childhood and adulthood in the poem.