Question

from the white knights song
ill tell thee everything i can:
theres little to relate.
i saw an aged, aged man,
a - sitting on a gate.
\who are you, aged man?\ i said.
\and how is it you live?\
and his answer trickled through my head,
like water through a sieve.
(from \the white knights song\ by lewis carroll)
which does the simile in the last two lines mean?

1. the speakers head was empty.
2. the mans ideas flowed rapidly.
3. the answer amused the speaker.
4. the answer was quickly forgotten.

Explanation:

A sieve has holes, so water through a sieve means the water (here, the answer) doesn't stay. So the simile "Like water through a sieve" for the answer trickling through the head implies the answer was quickly forgotten. Option 1 is wrong (head empty isn't implied), 2 is wrong (flowed rapidly isn't what a sieve implies—sieve is about loss, not speed), 3 is wrong (no amusement implied).

Answer:

1. The answer was quickly forgotten.