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Line 17
She is afraid that carriage wheels or horses may hit her.
The line gives a clear reason for her fear: moving into the road could cause real physical harm.
Fear based on real danger.
Anxious.
The reader feels tension.
“feet” rhymes with “street” in the next line.
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Answer: She is afraid that the carriage wheels or the horses’ feet may knock her down while she tries to cross.
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Answer: The line gives a clear reason for her fear: moving into the road could cause real physical harm. The danger becomes concrete rather than vague. The line also develops the idea of Fear based on real danger .
Line 18
She fears being knocked down on the slippery road.
The alliteration makes the phrase memorable, while the word “slippery” connects back to the recent snow and completes the picture of danger.
Physical danger and dependence on others.
Anxious.
The reader feels worried for her safety.
“street” completes the rhyme with “feet”.
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Answer: The alliteration is “slippery street”, where the ‘s’ sound is repeated. It draws attention to the road surface and makes the danger more vivid.
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Answer: The alliteration makes the phrase memorable, while the word “slippery” connects back to the recent snow and completes the picture of danger. The repeated ‘s’ sound draws attention to the dangerous road surface. The line also develops the idea of Physical danger and dependence on others .
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Answer: The woman is afraid of being knocked down by carriage wheels or horses’ feet on the slippery street. Her fear is therefore based on a real physical danger.
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Answer: She fears the carriage wheels, horses and slippery road.
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Answer: Stanza 9 is important because it develops the contrast between the carefree children and the old woman’s danger. She fears the carriage wheels, horses and slippery road. This helps the poem move naturally towards its larger message of empathy, kindness and seeing the human value in another person.
