Winter Storm by Leo J. Molner
The wind came roaring o’er the hill And down the other side, While bending trees bereft of leaves And gave them quite a ride. The roar was so extremely loud Just like unearthly moans. The cold was piercing like a sword. It chilled your very bones. White snow came biting at your face And stung your cold bare hands. It soon became so hard to see, Not much like fairylands. It seemed like only yesterday, The trees were mauve and gold And leaves were gently falling down, The days were getting cold. Some leaves just landed on the ground And gathered on the grass, While others held on to the end. Each one tried hard to last. Some leaves fell in the nearby brook And sailed away downstream. The current took them quite a ways They all fulfilled a dream. Some bobbed and weaved in waters rough, Some sailed on even keel. A few got shipwrecked on the banks, Some hit the water wheel. Those days are gone away I’m sure For winter’s claimed the land. ’Til spring shows up again next year The skies are gray and bland. But, now the wind is dying down And peace is in the air. For where the snow and ice hit hard There is a softness there. Large flakes are falling from the sky And slowly sail around. The trees are covered all in white, A blanket on the ground. The snow will last a little while Then slowly disappear. Until we see the next snowfall I’m sure we’ll all be here.
How does the structure of the poem contribute to its meaning?
Based on details in the rest of the poem, which word could replace bereft in the first stanza and maintain the meaning of the line?
Which feeling does the figurative language in the second stanza suggest?
Read the stanza from the poem.
“It seemed like only yesterday, / The trees were mauve and gold / And leaves were gently falling down, / The days were getting cold.”
Which inference about the speaker does the stanza most strongly support?
Read the lines from the poem.
“Large flakes are falling from the sky / And slowly sail around.”
What is the impact of the alliteration on the lines?
How does the poet develop the speaker’s point of view about autumn and winter?
Which theme is most developed over the course of the passage?
Part One
How does the plot of the poem shape the setting?
Part Two
Which lines from the poem support the answer in Part One? Choose two answers.