Select the correct answer.
What romantic element is present in this excerpt from “Rip Van Winkle”?
In a long ramble of the kind, on a fine autumnal day, Rip had unconsciously scrambled to one of the highest parts of the Kaatskill mountains. Panting and fatigued, he threw himself, late in the afternoon, on a green knoll, covered with mountain herbage, that crowned the brow of a precipice. From an opening between the trees, he could overlook all the lower country for many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the lordly Hudson, far, far below him, moving on its silent but majestic course, with the reflection of a purple cloud, or the sail of a lagging bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom and at last losing itself in the blue highlands.
A.
the emphasis on individual choice
B.
the emphasis on human optimism
C.
the emphasis on the beauty of nature
D.
the emphasis on the importance of society
E.
the emphasis on scientific discovery
C. the emphasis on the beauty of nature
C. the emphasis on the beauty of nature
To identify the correct answer, we need to analyze the given excerpt from "Rip Van Winkle" and identify the prominent romantic element present.
In the excerpt, the author describes a scene in which Rip Van Winkle finds himself on top of the Kaatskill mountains, looking out over the lower country. The author paints a vivid picture of the natural landscape, emphasizing its beauty and grandeur. The mention of the "rich woodland," the "lordly Hudson," and the "blue highlands" all create a sense of awe and appreciation for the natural world.
Based on this description, we can conclude that the correct answer is C. The emphasis on the beauty of nature.