“The Spanish Dancer” by Rainer Maria Rilke
As a lit match first flickers in the hands
Before it flames, and darts out from all sides
Bright, twitching tongues, so, ringed by growing bands
Of spectators—she, quivering, glowing stands
Poised tensely for the dance—then forward glides
And suddenly becomes a flaming torch.
Her bright hair flames, her burning glances scorch,
And with a daring art at her command
Her whole robe blazes like a fire-brand
From which is stretched each naked arm, awake,
Gleaming and rattling like a frightened snake.
And then, as though the fire fainter grows,
She gathers up the flame—again it glows,
As with proud gesture and imperious air
She flings it to the earth; and it lies there
Furiously flickering and crackling still—
Then haughtily victorious, but with sweet
Swift smile of greeting, she puts forth her will
And stamps the flames out with her small firm feet.
Use the poem to answer the question.
The meter in lines 13–16 (“She gathers up…crackling still”) functions to do which of the following?
A.
create diminuendo
B.
imply the dancer’s power is fading
C.
foreshadow the dampening of the flame
D.
suggest that the dance is not yet over
E.
illustrate the dancer’s control of the situation
E. Illustrate the dancer's control of the situation.
The meter in lines 13-16 reflects the dancer's control and power. The increasing rhythm creates a sense of intensity and builds anticipation, suggesting that the dance is not yet over. The gathering up of the flames and the flickering and crackling indicate the dancer's ability to manipulate the fire, reinforcing her control and mastery of the situation.
The meter in lines 13–16 (“She gathers up…crackling still”) suggests that the dance is not yet over.
To analyze the meter in lines 13-16 of the poem, we need to look at the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. The meter helps establish the rhythm and flow of the poem. Let's break down the lines:
She gathers up the flame—again it glows,
As with proud gesture and imperious air
In these lines, we can identify a pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. The stressed syllables are indicated by capital letters and the unstressed syllables by lowercase letters, like this:
She GATHers UP the FLAME—aGAIN it GLOWS,
As with PROUD GESture and iMPEriOUS AIR
The meter in these lines consists of iambs, which are metrical feet consisting of one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. This creates a rhythmic pattern. The meter in these lines enhances the sense of the dancer's control and power.
Option A, create diminuendo, pertains to music, not poetry, so it can be eliminated. Option B, imply the dancer's power is fading, is not supported by the meter in these lines. Option C, foreshadow the dampening of the flame, is not explicitly suggested by the meter but could be interpreted in the context of the poem. Option D, suggest that the dance is not yet over, has some validity, but it's not the primary function of the meter in these lines.
Therefore, the most accurate answer is option E, illustrate the dancer's control of the situation. The consistent iambic meter in these lines reflects the dancer's confident and commanding presence, reinforcing her control over the flame and the performance.