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Line 7
People keep walking past the woman.
The line makes the public’s indifference active: they are not absent; they are present and still choose not to stop.
Social indifference.
Quietly critical.
The reader may feel disappointment.
“by” has a near rhyme with “eyes” in the next line through the long ‘i’ sound.
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Answer: It suggests that the people continue on their way without stopping to notice or help the old woman.
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Answer: The line makes the public’s indifference active: they are not absent; they are present and still choose not to stop. The flowing sentence mirrors people continuously moving past her. The line also develops the idea of Social indifference .
Line 8
Nobody pays attention to the worried look in her eyes.
Her eyes silently ask for help, but the people around her fail to read that need.
Noticing the needs of others.
Compassionate and critical of neglect.
The reader feels pity and concern.
“eyes” forms a near rhyme with “by”.
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Answer: Her anxious eyes show fear and a silent need for help. The fact that people ignore them makes their lack of concern clearer.
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Answer: Her eyes silently ask for help, but the people around her fail to read that need. Her fear is shown without needing spoken words. The line also develops the idea of Noticing the needs of others .
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Answer: Her anxious eyes communicate fear and a need for help, even though she says nothing. The people pass her by without paying attention to this silent request.
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Answer: People pass her without noticing the worried look in her eyes.
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Answer: Stanza 4 is important because it develops the old woman’s vulnerability and the way people ignore her. People pass her without noticing the worried look in her eyes. This helps the poem move naturally towards its larger message of empathy, kindness and seeing the human value in another person.
