Target Exam

CUET

Subject

English

Chapter

Comprehension - (Poetry / Literary)

Question:

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. 

Choose an appropriate synonym of the word: 'seldom'

Options:

Rarely

Lonely

Sad

Purchase

Correct Answer:

Rarely

Explanation:

The correct answer is Option (1) - Rarely

Rarely
This is the correct synonym. “Seldom” means “not often” or “on rare occasions.” In the poem, the line “How seldom together!” means they were together very rarely.

Lonely
This is incorrect. “Lonely” refers to feeling alone or isolated. It expresses emotion, not frequency.

Sad
This is incorrect. “Sad” refers to an unhappy feeling and has no connection to how often something happens.

Purchase
This is incorrect. “Purchase” means to buy something and is completely unrelated to the meaning of “seldom.”

Therefore, Rarely is the most appropriate synonym for the word “seldom.”