Chapter: 17. The Way Through The Woods
Comprehension
A. Answer these questions.
What natural elements are explicitly mentioned as having “undone” the road? Describe the animals and their behaviour that suggest the woods are a peaceful and undisturbed natural habitat. What specific details (beyond sounds) does the poet use to describe the atmosphere of the late summer evening in the woods? How does the poem indicate the passage of a significant amount of time since the road was closed? What word does the poet use to describe the “solitudes” through which the ghostly figures travel? B. Answer these questions with reference to the context.
“It is underneath the coppice and heath, And the thin anemones.”
a. What is “it” referring to in these lines?
b. What does this line tell us about how completely the road has been absorbed by nature?
c. How do the words “coppice,” “heath,” and “anemones” contribute to the imagery of a wild, overgrown place? “But there is no road through the woods.”
a. When does this line appear in the poem?
b. What is the significance of this line appearing where it does, especially after the description of the horse and rider?
c. How does this line reinforce the central message or theme of the poem? C. Think and answer.
The poem describes a place where human presence has faded. Imagine you are a nature scientist studying this woods. What observations would you make that align with the poem’s message? If the poem were told from the perspective of one of the badgers, how might its tone and focus change? What would be important to the badger? The poem implies a contrast between the tangible (the lost road) and the intangible (the ghostly echoes). How does this contrast make the poem more thought-provoking? 
Comprehension