by Emily Dickinson
It sifts from leaden sieves,
It powders all the wood,
It fills with alabaster wool
The wrinkles of the road.
It makes an even face
Of mountain and of plain, --
Unbroken forehead from the east
Unto the east again.
It reaches to the fence,
It wraps it, rail by rail,
Till it is lost in fleeces;
It flings a crystal veil
On stump and stack and stem, --
The summer's empty room,
Acres of seams where harvests were,
Recordless, but for them.
It ruffles wrists of posts,
As ankles of a queen, --
Then stills its artisans like ghosts,
Denying they have been.
"It Sifts from Leaden Sieves" by Emily Dickinson
Question
Use the poem “It sifts from Leaden Sieves” below to answer the question.
According to the connotations of the words in the final stanza, what adjective might best describe this snow?
(1 point)
Responses
delicate
delicate
forbidden
forbidden
hard
hard
sparkling
1 answer
The adjective that might best describe the snow, based on the connotations of the words in the final stanza ("It ruffles wrists of posts, / As ankles of a queen, -- / Then stills its artisans like ghosts, / Denying they have been"), is delicate.
The imagery of ruffling and comparing the snow to the ankles of a queen suggests a sense of grace and gentleness, which aligns with the connotation of "delicate."
