Question

which two lines in the poem indicate its theme?
a shadow
by henry wadsworth longfellow
i said unto myself, if i were dead,
what would befall these children? what would be
their fate, who now are looking up to me
for help and furtherance? their lives, i said,
would be a volume wherein i have read
but the first chapters, and no longer see
to read the rest of their dear history,
so full of beauty and so full of dread.
be comforted; the world is very old,
and generations pass, as they have passed,
a troop of shadows moving with the sun,
thousands of times has the old tale been told;
the world belongs to those who come the last,
they will find hope and strength as we have done.

Explanation:

The poem's theme revolves around the idea of the continuity of generations and the comfort that the world is enduring, with new generations taking their place. The lines "Be comforted; the world is very old, And generations pass, as they have passed" encapsulate this theme by emphasizing the age of the world and the passing of generations, which ties into the speaker's concern for the children's future and the reassurance that the world will go on with new generations finding hope and strength.

Answer:

Be comforted; the world is very old,
And generations pass, as they have passed.