“Mutability” and “A Defence of Poetry” by Percy Bysshe Shelley — Quiz
Question 6 • British Literature and Composition
Read the first stanza from "Mutability.” We are as clouds that veil the midnight moon; How restlessly they speed, and gleam, and quiver, Streaking the darkness radiantly!—yet soon Night closes round, and they are lost for ever How does Shelley convey the idea that humans are constantly moving and changing?
Answer
A
by comparing humans to clouds
B
by comparing humans to darkness
C
by personifying the night
D
by personifying the moon
Explanation
Shelley directly compares people to clouds with the phrase “We are as clouds.” The clouds speed, gleam, and quiver before disappearing, suggesting that human lives are restless and changeable. So the correct choice is “by comparing humans to clouds.”
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