Read the poem given below and answer the questions (100 - 105) that follow :
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests: snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sings into gravelly ground.
My father, digging, I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills,
Where he was digging
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep.
To scatter new potatoes that we picked,
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.

What is the overall tone of the poem ?

Correct Option: nostalgic and admiration

Explanation:

To determine the overall tone of the poem, let us analyze the imagery and key themes present in the lines:

1. Nostalgia: The speaker looks out the window and observes his father working. The sound of the spade triggers a vivid memory, taking him "twenty years away" to his father "stooping in rhythm through potato drills." This transition into the past demonstrates a reflective, fond remembrance of times gone by.

2. Admiration: The speaker describes his father's work with great care and precision ("The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft / Against the inside knee was levered firmly"). The description highlights the skill, labor, and connection to the land that the father possesses, while also recalling "loving their cool hardness in our hands" when picking new potatoes. This reflects deep respect and appreciation for the father's hard work and legacy.

Therefore, the overall tone of the poem is best described as nostalgic and admiration.