The sun does arise,
and make happy the skies.
the merry bells ring
to welcome the spring.
[5]
the sky-lark and thrush,
the birds of the bush,
sing louder around,
to the bells’ cheerful sound.
while our sports shall be seen
[10]
on the ecchoing green.
old john, with white hair
does laugh away care,
sitting under the oak,
among the old folk,
[15]
they laugh at our play,
and soon they all say.
‘such, such were the joys.
when we all girls & boys,
in our youth-time were seen,
[20]
on the ecchoing green.’
till the little ones weary
no more can be merry
the sun does descend,
and our sports have an end:
[25]
round the laps of their mothers,
many sisters and brothers,
like birds in their nest,
are ready for rest;
and sport no more seen,
[30]
on the darkening green. part a: which of the following best describes a central theme of the text?
a.
identity has little to no correlation to age.
b.
growing up and aging happens quicker than expected; youth should be appreciated.
c.
friendship is more valuable and constant in one's older years.
d.
nature shows us how repetitive human life can be. part b: which of the following quotes best supports the answer to part a?

a
“the sky-lark and thrush, / the birds of the bush, / sing louder around, / to the bells’ cheerful sound.” ( lines 5-8)
b
“old john, with white hair / does laugh away care, / sitting under the oak, / among the old folk” ( lines 11-14)
c
“till the little ones weary / no more can be merry / the sun does descend, / and our sports have an end” ( lines 21-24)
d
“round the laps of their mothers, / many sisters and brothers, / like birds in their nest” ( lines 25-27)how does the poem’s setting (in terms of time) contribute to its overall meaning?

a
the poem takes place mostly at night, symbolic of the end of life and thus contributing to the theme of death.
b
the poem focuses on “old john” as he reminisces about the past, and thus the poem’s setting takes place in two different times (past and present).
c
the poem takes place over the course of a day, symbolic of the course of one’s lifetime and thus contributing to the messages about youth and aging.
d
the poem takes place during the day and ends just before sundown, symbolic of the majority of a person’s life (i. e. adulthood), teaching the reader to value youth. which of the following statements best describes how and when the mood changes throughout the poem?

a
the mood begins as energetic and cheerful, becomes more nostalgic in the 2nd stanza, and by the 3rd stanza it has diminished to weary and fatigued.
b
the mood in the first stanza is softer than in the rest of the poem, in which it increases in cheer and energy.
c
the mood declines gradually over the course of the poem into a bleak sort of sadness and regret.
d
the mood stays consistent throughout the poem: nostalgic and longing.5.
how does the rhyme scheme contribute to the poem’s tone?