Fossil
Flitting, flickering, flashing
black, white, and a note of red
passes beneath trees
that were already old at the end
of the Civil War.
The lovely departed species
announces its fearless
refusal to cease to be.
And as we stand in the awe of life's
determination, it hammers
its note of hope against the
dead dry bark that sleeves a meal.
Can an old being be resurrected?
Can a people be saved?
And at what cost?
Why is pecking at a tree described as hammering a "note of hope"?
A. The sound reminds people of someone building a new home for their families.
B. The sound is a reminder that the woodpecker must work to get its food.
C. The sound is a reminder that the woodpecker has survived against the odds.
D. The sound reminds people that the trees have been growing for a long time.
C
What is the tone of this poem?
A. mournful
B. celebratory
C. regretful
D. hopeful
D
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