Part A
How does the imagery in the poem’s first stanza affect its tone?
The images of the woods in autumn, the October twilight, the lake, and the floating swans combine to create a reflective tone.
The tone of the first stanza is threatening, as if warning the reader that these natural beauties cannot last.
The speaker describes the images in a matter-of-fact tone, as if listing all the expected sights of nature, before turning his attention to the amazingly beautiful swans.
The tone of the first stanza is youthful and exuberant, as if the speaker is a young person exploring the woods.
Part B
Which statement best describes how the tone in Part A changes in the poem’s second stanza?
The tone of the poem changes from pleased to unsatisfied because the swans, like all good things in the speaker’s life, last only a little while.
The speaker is inspired and energized by the swans’ flight, so the tone becomes more forceful.
The speaker of the poem envies the flying swans, who can escape this small town.
The swans’ departure, which symbolizes loss for the speaker, makes the tone of the poem more forlorn or mournful.
Poem
The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine and fifty swans.
The nineteenth Autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings
