Robert Frost
Brown lived at such a lofty farm
That everyone for miles could see
His lantern when he did his chores
In winter after half-past three.
5And many must have seen him make
His wild descent from there one night,
’Cross lots, ’cross walls, ’cross everything,
Describing rings of lantern light.
Between the house and barn the gale
10Got him by something he had on
And blew him out on the icy crust
That cased the world, and he was gone!
Walls were all buried, trees were few:
He saw no stay unless he stove
15A hole in somewhere with his heel.
But though repeatedly he strove
And stamped and said things to himself,
And sometimes something seemed to yield,
He gained no foothold, but pursued
20 His journey down from field to field.
Sometimes he came with arms outspread
Like wings, revolving in the scene
Upon his longer axis, and
With no small dignity of mien.
25 Faster or slower as he chanced,
Sitting or standing as he chose,
According as he feared to risk
His neck, or thought to spare his clothes,
He never let the lantern drop.
30 And some exclaimed who saw afar
The figures he described with it,
“I wonder what those signals are
Brown makes at such an hour of night!
He’s celebrating something strange.
35 I wonder if he’s sold his farm,
Or been made Master of the Grange.”
He reeled, he lurched, he bobbed, he checked;
He fell and made the lantern rattle
(But saved the light from going out.)
40 So half-way down he fought the battle
Incredulous of his own bad luck.
And then becoming reconciled
To everything, he gave it up
And came down like a coasting child.
45 “Well––I––be––” that was all he said,
As standing in the river road,
He looked back up the slippery slope
(Two miles it was) to his abode.
Excerpt from “Brown’s Descent, or the Willy-nilly Slide” by Robert Frost, from The Poetry of Robert Frost. In the public domain.
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Multiple Choice Question
Read these lines from the poem.
He never let the lantern drop.
And some exclaimed who saw afar
The figures he described with it,
"I wonder what those signals are
Brown makes at such an hour of night!
He's celebrating something strange.
What does the neighbors' reaction in these lines say about their point of view regarding Brown?
A.
They are worried about his safety.
B.
They are irritated by his late-night antics.
C.
They expect unusual behavior from him.
D.
They are amused by his elaborate plans.
9 answers
The correct answer is:
C. They expect unusual behavior from him.
The neighbors' comments about Brown’s late-night actions and their speculation that he might be "celebrating something strange" suggest that they are accustomed to seeing him act in unexpected or unconventional ways. This implies an expectation of unusual behavior rather than concern or irritation.
The correct answer is:
C. They expect unusual behavior from him.
The neighbors' remarks indicate that they are familiar with Brown's tendency to engage in unconventional activities, leading them to speculate about what he might be doing and to interpret his actions as “celebrating something strange.” This reflects an expectation of unusual behavior rather than worry for his safety, irritation, or amusement at elaborate plans.
The two tones that apply are:
A. irreverent because he knows even Brown found the situation to be silly
E. playful because he recounts the event in a lighthearted way
The description of Brown's fall and the reactions to it suggest a sense of humor and lightness regarding the mishap, indicating an irreverent and playful tone. The poem captures the absurdity of the situation while also suggesting that Brown himself might not take it too seriously.
Part A:
The correct answer is:
A. The wind blew him.
Part B:
The lines from the poem that support this answer are:
C. lines 9–12
These lines describe how the gale "Got him by something he had on / And blew him out on the icy crust," indicating that the wind was the cause of Brown's fall.
The correct answer is:
C. It creates a shift from a serious to a humorous tone.
The last stanza presents a comical resolution to Brown's precarious situation, emphasizing a lighter, more humorous perspective on the mishap after the build-up of tension in earlier stanzas. This shift contributes to a more playful tone at the end of the poem.
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