What connotations do many of the words in the excerpt have in common?
a. journeys
b. lifelessness
c. birth
d. joy

by the road to the contagious hospital
under the surge of the blue
mottled clouds driven from the
northeast a cold wind. beyond, the
waste of broad, muddy fields
brown with dried weeds, standing and fallen

patches of standing water
the scattering of tall trees

all along the road the reddish
purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy
stuff of bushes and small trees
with dead, brown leaves under them
leafless vines

lifeless in appearance, sluggish
dazed spring approaches

The right answer is "B.Lifelessness "

The whole text expresses a sad, discouraged and lifeless feeling.

The passage that makes this more evident is:

"  All along the road the reddish

purplish, forked, upstanding, twiggy

stuff of bushes and small trees

with dead, brown leaves under them

leafless vines  

Lifeless in appearance, sluggish

dazed spring approaches"

the use of “as” in the example to draw the resemblance. some more examples of common similes are given below. common examples of simile. our soldiers are as brave as lions. her cheeks are red like a rose. he is as funny as a monkey. the water well was as dry as a bone. he is as cunning as a fox. simile introduces vividness into what we say.