“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.
How does the structure of the poem influence its tone? (1 point)
Responses
The parallel lines create a close and familiar tone.
The varied meter creates a distant but informal tone.
The parallel structure creates an insistent, aggressive tone.
The fixed meter creates a claustrophobic and informal tone.
The changing structure creates an untrustworthy and flighty tone.