Which excerpt from Robert Burns’s “To a Mouse” best conveys understanding and forgiveness?
“…An’ weary winter comin’ fast,/An cozie here, beneath the blast…”<<<
“Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!/Its silly wa’s the win’s are strewin’!”
“Still thou art blessed compared wi’ me/The present only toucheth thee…”
“I doubt na… but thou may thieve;/What then? Poor beastie, thou maun live!”
My answer is D
thank you
Yes, you are correct. Excerpt D from Robert Burns's poem "To a Mouse" conveys understanding and forgiveness. In this excerpt, the speaker expresses doubt that the mouse may steal, but quickly forgives it, recognizing that the mouse must do what it can to survive: "I doubt na...but thou may thieve;/What then? Poor beastie, thou maun live!"
To determine which excerpt from Robert Burns's "To a Mouse" best conveys understanding and forgiveness, we need to analyze each option.
Excerpt A, "...An' weary winter comin' fast,/An cozie here, beneath the blast..." does not directly convey understanding and forgiveness. It primarily describes the comfort and shelter that the speaker offers to the mouse.
Excerpt B, "Thy wee-bit housie, too, in ruin!/Its silly wa's the win's are strewin'!" expresses sympathy and understanding towards the mouse because the speaker acknowledges the mouse's situation of experiencing the destruction of its home by the wind.
Excerpt C, "Still thou art blessed compared wi' me/The present only toucheth thee..." highlights the appreciation for the mouse's ability to live in the present moment and not be burdened by worries of the past or future. Although this excerpt contains empathy, it does not explicitly convey forgiveness.
Excerpt D, "I doubt na… but thou may thieve;/What then? Poor beastie, thou maun live!" directly conveys understanding and forgiveness. The speaker acknowledges that the mouse may resort to stealing for survival, but instead of condemning it, the speaker refers to the mouse as a "poor beastie" and acknowledges that it must do what it can to survive.
Therefore, the correct answer is indeed D, as it best conveys understanding and forgiveness towards the mouse in the poem.