Bearing two axes with heavy heads shining and wide.
And a long limp two-handled saw toothed for cutting great boles.
And so they approach the pound tree that bears the death-mark on its side.
Jackets doffed they swing axes and chop away just above ground
And the chips fly about and lie white moss and fallen leaves...
The flakes of wood that fly arround when you cut wood.
In the given passage, the word "chips" refers to the small pieces of wood that fly around when the executioners swing their axes and chop at the pound tree. To confirm this interpretation and gain a better understanding, we can look closely at the context clues provided in the passage. The mention of the "axes" and "chop away" indicates that the executioners are cutting or chopping something. Additionally, the description of the "chips" as "white moss and fallen leaves" suggests that these are fragments of wood that are flying around as a result of the chopping. By analyzing these contextual details, we can conclude that the "chips" refer to the small wood fragments that are produced from the executioners' chopping actions.
What do you think? When an axe cuts into wood, what kind of chips might fly? Potato chips, corn chips, chocolate chips?
