Multiple choice

Glance

Directions: Some words in the verse below have been highlighted. Select the best meaning for the corresponding word.

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

 

  1. Single group

  2. Look

  3. Viewpoint

  4. Vision

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In the line 'Ten thousand saw I at a glance,' the poet is describing how he could see thousands of daffodils in one quick look. 'At a glance' is an idiomatic expression meaning to see something quickly or in a single look. Option B 'Look' best captures this meaning of taking in everything at once. Option D 'Vision' is close but refers more to the act of seeing rather than the quick, comprehensive viewing implied in the context.