Question

circle the best answer for each question.
the following excerpt is from a poem about the battle of trenton. read the poem and answer questions 1 and 2.
in trenton when the sun was set,
the hessians at their quarters met;
and while the brilliant candles shine,
they pass along the sparkling wine:
for christmas day had come and gone,
the joyful hours were nearly flown,
with a merry laugh our country’s foe
enjoy the minutes as they flow,
and many a soldier sang with glee
of blue - eyed maids in germany:

on pennsylvania’s wintry shore
the chilling blast howled loud and sore;
when lulled the winds, there echoed then
the heavy tramp of armed men.
columbia’s sons haste to the strife,
to strike for liberty and life,

george washington was at their head!
a gallant band, and nobly led...
1
ss.8.a.1.5, ss.8.a.1.7, ss.8.a.3.2, la.8.1.6.1 (high)
who is being described in the first stanza of the poem?
a the patriot army
b the loyalists fighting for the british army
c the foreign soldiers fighting for the british army
d general washington

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze the first stanza. The lines "our country’s foe", "soldier sang with glee of blue - eyed maids in Germany" suggest these are foreign soldiers fighting for the British (Hessians were German mercenaries for the British in the American Revolution). Option A is the Patriot Army (Americans), which is not the foe. Option B: Loyalists were American colonists loyal to Britain, not foreign. Option D: General Washington is in later stanzas, not the first. So the first stanza describes foreign soldiers (Hessians) fighting for the British.

Answer:

D. General Washington (Note: Wait, no, correction. Wait, the first stanza: "our country’s foe" and "soldier sang of blue - eyed maids in Germany" – Hessians were German mercenaries for Britain. So option C: the foreign soldiers fighting for the British Army. So the correct answer is C. the foreign soldiers fighting for the British Army)