Poetry: Sound, Syntax, and Structure Unit Test
“Swallows” by Leonora Speyer
Use the poem to answer the question.
1. What is the effect of the syntax in lines 9–12 on the poem's meaning?
A. The meandering lines parallel the birds' freedom.
B. The short clauses illustrate the size of the swallows.
C. The abrupt phrases show the brevity of the birds' lives.
D. The line lengths mirror the swallows' movement.
E. The difference in line lengths shows the birds' indecision.
2. Which statement best explains the relationship between form and meaning in this poem?
A. The closed form contrasts with the birds' flight.
B. The open form illustrates the speaker's freedom.
C. The open form parallels the freedom of the birds.
D. The closed form demonstrates the speaker's longing.
E. The free verse shows that the birds' freedom is illusory.
3. Line 3 is an example of which poetic device?
A. allusion
B. assonance
C. imagery
D. irony
E. symbolism
4. How does the form of this poem affect its voice?
A. The free verse creates a poem with broken meter, creating a voice full of longing.
B. The free verse allows for the rhythm to vary, allowing the voice to echo the subject.
C. The closed form demonstrates constraint, showing the inevitability of nature's patterns.
D. The closed form presents restrictions, contrasting with the freedom described in the poem.
E. The open form illustrates a contrast, showing the difference between the subject and the speaker.
5. The structure of lines 2–3 supports which interpretation of the poem?
A. The birds are cacophonous; they revel in making noise when it is quiet.
B. The birds are peaceful; they have finally been freed from a longtime predator.
C. The birds are frantic; they have longed to escape but do not know how to.
D. The birds are fighting; they have been constrained by manmade structures.
E. The birds are wild; their beauty cannot be contained, even by nature.
6. How does the structure of the poem influence its tone?
A. The parallel lines create a close and familiar tone.
B. The varied meter creates a distant but informal tone.
C. The parallel structure creates an insistent, aggressive tone.
D. The fixed meter creates a claustrophobic and informal tone.
E. The changing structure creates an untrustworthy and flighty tone.