Read the excerpt from Robert Frost's poem "Mending Wall."

He only says, "Good fences make good neighbours."
Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
"Why do they make good neighbours? Isn’t it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows.
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down." I could say "Elves" to him,
But it’s not elves exactly, and I’d rather
He said it for himself. I see him there
Bringing a stone grasped firmly by the top
In each hand, like an old-stone savage armed.
He moves in darkness as it seems to me,
Not of woods only and the shade of trees.
He will not go behind his father’s saying,
And he like having thought of it so well
He says again, "Good fences make good neighbours."

What does the word grasped connote in this poem?

that the man is determined to protect himself
that the man knows how to build a wall
that the man can pick up big rocks
that the man is going to attack the speaker

The word "grasped" in this poem connotes that the man has firmly and tightly held the stone in his hand. It suggests that the man has a strong grip on the stone and implies his physical strength and determination rather than any intention to attack the speaker.

Based on the context of the poem, the word "grasped" connotes that the man is holding onto the stone firmly or tightly in his hands. It suggests that the man is strong and capable, possibly emphasizing his determination or seriousness in building the wall. It does not imply that the man is going to attack the speaker.

In the poem "Mending Wall" by Robert Frost, the word "grasped" connotes that the man is picking up the rocks with a firm grip or holding them tightly. It indicates his physical strength and determination in repairing the wall. The word does not suggest that the man is attacking the speaker, but rather emphasizes his commitment to the task at hand.