Question

tree shaking
by c sikes
the man who cuts our schools lawn
moves on his mower like a hermit crab
dragging a shell.
he also tends to the fruit trees
like a watchmaker keeping time.
he circles the apple tree twice.
the apples surround its trunk like dreams.
when he picks them from the ground, he looks
to see if anyone saw one find its way to his jacket.
his coat could hide away a whole orchard.
i want to tell him, i really love your apples,
but he cant know what things ive seen.
5
what does the poet mean by his coat could hide away a whole orchard?
a. he wore the coat to hide apples.
b. he is wearing a large coat.
c. he has multiple apples in his coat.
d. he has taken apples from the tree before.

Explanation:

The phrase "his coat could hide away a whole orchard" is a metaphor. It implies that he has a history of taking apples (as if his coat has hidden many apples before, like an orchard has many trees/apples). Option A is too literal (the coat's purpose isn't just to hide apples in a one - time sense). Option B about the coat's size is not the focus. Option C is also too literal. The metaphor suggests past actions (taking apples before), which aligns with Option D.

Answer:

D. He has taken apples from the tree before.