HSA 2009 English Item 26

The following item should be answered upon reading the poem, The Armful by Robert Frost. This poem has been removed from the mdk12.org website due to copyright restrictions. It can be found in poetry books at most local or school libraries or online on poetry websites.

In the poem The Armful, the speaker struggles to handle many parcels at one time. When the task becomes too difficult, he attempts to reorganize the items into a more manageable load.

Which word best describes the speaker’s tone in the poem?

1. apologetic
2. determined
3. humorous
4. suspenseful