Read the poem entitled “Wheels and Wheels” as it appears in Chapter 5 of Wheels of Change. “Wheels and Wheels”The maiden with her wheel of oldSat by the fire to spin,While lightly through her careful holdThe flax slid out and in.Today, her distaff, rock and reelFar out of sight are hurled,For now the maiden with her wheelGoes spinning round the world.
Answer
A
to compare the newfound freedom of women cyclists with the lack of freedom experienced by women in the past
B
to persuade readers that bicycles were responsible for the many changes taking place for women at the time
C
to inform readers that the bicycle was a direct result of the spinning wheel used to spin thread in the past
D
to show readers that the invention of the spinning wheel occurred long before the invention of the bicycle wheel
Explanation
The poem contrasts a woman in the past, sitting by the fire and spinning flax, with a woman today who is “spinning round the world.” The shift from staying in one place to traveling suggests that women cyclists gained freedom and mobility compared with women in the past. The poem does not claim that bicycles caused every change for women or resulted directly from spinning wheels.
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