5/6 Check-In

Which statement describes a theme of the poem?

• Getting out into nature can create a sense of satisfaction.

• Being productive can be difficult when one lacks a sense of purpose.

• Waiting expectantly for something that never happens can cause sadness.

• Remembering those who are gone can make it seem as though they never left.

What is the meaning of the word glum as it is used in line 1?

• disinterested

• focused

• tired

• sad

Read lines 16–17 of the poem.

Nothing in her garden is secret, I think—That’s all sun-bright with foxglove and pink,

How do the lines contribute to the development of the setting?

• by hinting at the skill with which Mrs. Willow maintains her garden

• by illustrating a beautiful backdrop that contrasts with Mrs. Willow’s dreary disposition

• by noting the garden’s open and bright layout, which is similar to Mrs. Willow’s open and honest personality

• by describing how the garden is a work in progress, providing a reason for why Mrs. Willow is constantly

  working in it

Which quotation supports the inference that Mrs. Willow doesn’t communicate with many people

outside of her home?

• “Digging up potatoes, cleaning out the weeds, Doing the little for a lone woman’s needs.” (lines 3–4)

• “And her path-stones are white as lilies of the wood, And she washes this and that till she must be very good.”

  (lines 12–13)

• “She sends no letters, and no one calls, And she doesn’t go whispering beyond her walls;” (lines 14–15)

• “She has no late lamps, and she digs all day And polishes and plants in a common way,” (lines 20–21)

Why does the poet repeat “a footfall, a footfall, a footfall” in line 23?

• to emphasize how watchful and anxious Mrs. Willow seems

• to prove that Mrs. Willow does get occasional visitors

• to inform the reader that Mrs. Willow has sharp senses

• to mimic the sounds of a person entering Mrs. Willow’s garden