Read the following poem and answer the question that follows :
In Those Days
In those days - they were long ago-
The snow was cold, the night was black.
I licked from my cracked lips
A snowflake, as I looked back
Through branches, the last uneasy snow.
Your shadow, there in the light, was still.
In a little the light went out.
I went on, stumbling_till at last the hill
Hid the house. And, yawning,
In bed in my room, alone,
I would look out: over the quilted
Rooftops, the clear stars shone.
How poor and miserable we were,
How seldom together!
And yet after so long one thinks:
In those days everything was better.
What is the dominant mood of the poem?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Nostalgia
Nostalgia is a sad but affectionate longing for a happy time in the past. The poet looks back on days that were long ago, when "we" were poor and seldom together, and still ends with the thought that "In those days everything was better". This fond, wistful looking back is nostalgia.
Example: Old school photographs fill my grandfather with nostalgia.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Sadness — Incorrect. Only partly true: the poem mentions being "poor and miserable", but the closing line looks back on that time as better; the mood is a longing for the past, not plain sadness.
Option 2: Celebrating — Incorrect. Contradicted: nothing in the poem is a celebration; the memories are of a cold night, poverty and separation.
Option 4: Anger — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the poet shows no anger at anyone or anything; his tone is quiet and reflective.