“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.
The structure of lines 2–3 supports which interpretation of the poem? (1 point)
Responses
The birds are cacophonous; they revel in making noise when it is quiet.
The birds are peaceful; they have finally been freed from a longtime predator.
The birds are frantic; they have longed to escape but do not know how to.
The birds are fighting; they have been constrained by manmade structures.
The birds are wild; their beauty cannot be contained, even by nature.