Read the following poem and answer the questions that follow:
SMOKE
Light – winged smoke! Icarian bird,
Melting thy pinions in thy upward flight:
Lark without song, and the messenger of dawn,
Circling above the hamlets as thy nest:
Or else, departing dream, and shadowy form
Of midnight, vision gathering up thy skirts:
By night star-veiling, and by day
Darkening the light and blotting out the sun:
Go thou, my incence, upward from this hearth,
And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame,
Henry David Thoreau

The poem deals with ____

The correct option is Fire in the village.

Step-by-step Explanation:
1. Understanding the Key Imagery: In the poem "SMOKE" by Henry David Thoreau, the poet addresses the smoke rising up into the sky. In the fourth line, he writes, "Circling above the hamlets as thy nest".
2. Defining 'Hamlets': The word "hamlet" refers to a small settlement or a very small village. By describing the smoke as circling above these hamlets, Thoreau establishes a domestic, rural setting.
3. Identifying the Source of Smoke: Towards the end of the poem, the poet says, "Go thou, my incense, upward from this hearth / And ask the gods to pardon this clear flame". A hearth is a fireplace in a home. Therefore, the smoke originates from a household fire within the rural settlement (village).
4. Conclusion: Since the smoke circles above "hamlets" (small villages) and rises from a "hearth" (domestic fireplace), the poem deals with a fire in the village context rather than in a forest, city, or ship.