THE SOLITARY REAPER
BEHOLD her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself:
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain:
O' listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.
No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt.
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.
What kind of song is the girl singing ?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → melancholic
Melancholic means sad and thoughtful, full of a quiet sorrow. The poem says the reaper "sings a melancholy strain", a sad tune.
Example: The violin played a slow, melancholic tune at the farewell.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: happy — Incorrect. Contradicted: a happy song is cheerful, the opposite of a melancholy strain.
Option 3: optimistic — Incorrect. Not mentioned: Optimistic means hopeful about the future; nothing in the lines suggests hope.
Example: The doctors are optimistic about her recovery.
Option 4: patriotic — Incorrect. Not mentioned: a patriotic song expresses love for one's country; the poem gives no such idea.
Example: The children sang a patriotic song on Independence Day.