“Swallows” by Leonora Speyer They dip their wings in the sunset,
They dash against the air
As if to break themselves upon its stillness:
In every movement, too swift to count,
Is a revelry of indecision,
A furtive delight in trees they do not desire
And in grasses that shall not know their weight.
They hover and lean toward the meadow
With little edged cries;
And then,
As if frightened at the earth’s nearness,
They seek the high austerity of evening sky
And swirl into its depth.
Question Use the poem to answer the question. What is the effect of the syntax in lines 9–12 on the poem's meaning? (1 point)
Responses
The meandering lines parallel the birds' freedom.
The short clauses illustrate the size of the swallows.
The abrupt phrases show the brevity of the birds' lives.
The line lengths mirror the swallows' movement.
he difference in line lengths shows the birds' indecision.
The difference in line lengths shows the birds' indecision.