Question

\forest trees\
by edna st. vincent millay
monarchs of long forgotten realms, ye stand;
majestic, grand;
unscanned by time’s destructive hand.
enthroned on dais of velvet moss, inset
with the royal purple of the violet;
and crowned with mistletoe.
how many ages o’er your head have flown,
to you is known—
to you, ye forest - founders of the past, alone.
no other eyes may scan the breadth of years,
each with its share of peace, and joy, and tears;
of happiness and woe.
around you all is changed—and where now is land
swift vessels ploughed to foam the seething main;
kingdoms have risen; and the fire - fiend’s hand
has crushed them to their mother earth again;
and through it all ye stand, and still will stand
till ages yet to come have owned your reign.
\forest trees\ by edna st. vincent millay from st. nicholas: an illustrated magazine for young folks. copyright
1898 by the century co., new york. public domain
based on the third stanza, which statement explains how humankind interacts with the land?
○ humankind depends on the land for food and shelter.
○ humankind roams the land in search of excitement and adventure.
○ humankind destroys the land through war.
○ humankind tries to harness the land for personal gain.

Explanation:

The third stanza ("Around you all is changed—and where now is land / Swift vessels ploughed to foam the seething main; / Kingdoms have risen; and the fire-fiend’s hand / Has crushed them to their Mother Earth again; / And through it all ye stand, and still will stand / Till ages yet to come have owned your reign.") describes how human actions (like building kingdoms, using fire - warfare implied by "fire - fiend’s hand") destroy lands, and kingdoms rise and fall. Among the options, "Humankind destroys the land through war" aligns with the destructive actions (fire - fiend's hand, kingdoms rising and being crushed) described in the stanza. The other options: "depends on the land for food..." is not supported, "roams for excitement..." is not in the stanza, "tries to harness for personal gain" is not the main focus of the third stanza's description of human - land interaction.

Answer:

B. Humankind destroys the land through war.