Question

from the brook
i come from haunts of coot and hern,
i make a sudden sally
and sparkle out among the fern,
to bicker down a valley.
by thirty hills i hurry down,
or slip between the ridges,
by twenty thorps, a little town,
and half a hundred bridges.
till last by philips farm i flow
to join the brimming river,
for men may come and men may go,
but i go on for ever.
i chatter over stony ways,
in little sharps and trebles,
i bubble into eddying bays,
i babble on the pebbles.

what does the contrast between humankind and the brook in lines 11–12 serve to emphasize in the poem?

1. ○ that humankind takes credit for the built environment even though the inspiration comes from nature
2. ○ that humankind seeks comfort in an urban setting when there is more comfort to be found in nature
3. ○ that the reach and scope of humankind is small and limited compared to the reach and scope of nature
4. ○ that the way humankind engages with the world would be improved if it followed the example of nature

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the poem "The Brook" and the lines 11 - 12 ("To join the brimming river, / For men may come and men may go, / But I go on for ever"). The brook is a natural entity with eternal flow, while humans are transient. Option 3 states that the reach and scope of humankind is small and limited compared to nature. This matches the contrast: the brook's (nature's) scope is eternal, human scope is limited (men come and go, brook goes on forever). Option 1 is incorrect as the poem doesn't show humans taking credit. Option 2 is wrong as the contrast isn't about comfort in urban vs nature. Option 4 is incorrect as the poem doesn't focus on humans following nature's example for improvement.

Answer:

1. that the reach and scope of humankind is small and limited compared to the reach and scope of nature