The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold. And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold: And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the seaWhen the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.
Like the leaves of the forest when Summer is green. Why does the speaker compare the Assyrian soldiers to "the leaves of the forest"?
1The green, leafy trees of summer symbolize peace, and the leafless trees of autumn symbolize war.
2. The Assyrian soldiers travel on foot through forestswhile their enemies travel by boat "like stars on the sea."
3The Assyrian soldiers, like summer leaves, were numerous in the beginning, but by the next day had fallen as leaves do in autur
4The soldiers wear green uniforms in summer to help them blend into the forest, but in autumn, when the leaves have turned brow they wear brown uniforms
I would say that option 3 is the most accurate interpretation of the comparison between the Assyrian soldiers and the leaves of the forest. The speaker is highlighting the mass numbers of the soldiers, similar to the abundance of leaves in summer. However, just as leaves fall in autumn, the soldiers also fall the next day, implying their impending defeat or downfall.
The correct option would be option 3: The Assyrian soldiers, like summer leaves, were numerous in the beginning, but by the next day had fallen as leaves do in autumn.
To determine why the speaker compares the Assyrian soldiers to "the leaves of the forest," we need to analyze the given poem excerpt and consider the context.
The comparison appears in the first two lines of the excerpt: "The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold. And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold." This imagery sets the tone for the description of the Assyrian soldiers and suggests their ferocity and strength.
Option 1 suggests that the green, leafy trees symbolize peace, and the leafless trees of autumn symbolize war. However, the poem does not explicitly mention the state of the trees or any connection to peace or war, so this option can be eliminated.
Option 2 implies that the Assyrian soldiers travel on foot through forests, while their enemies travel by boat "like stars on the sea." However, the poem does not mention any specific mode of transportation for the soldiers or their enemies, so this option is also incorrect.
Option 3 suggests that the Assyrian soldiers, like summer leaves, were numerous in the beginning but had fallen by the next day, resembling the falling of autumn leaves. This option corresponds to the imagery in the poem and accurately captures the comparison made by the speaker.
Option 4 suggests that the soldiers wear green uniforms in summer to blend into the forest, but in autumn, when the leaves have turned brown, they wear brown uniforms. Although this option mentions the soldiers' uniforms, the poem does not provide any information about the color or change of their clothing, making it an unsupported assumption.
Therefore, the correct answer is option 3: The Assyrian soldiers, like summer leaves, were numerous in the beginning, but by the next day had fallen as leaves do in autumn.