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The following text is from the 1895 poem “Marshlands” by Emily Pauline Johnson, a Kanienkahagen (Mohawk) writer also known as Tekahionwake.
Among the wild rice in the still lagoon,
In monotone the lizard shrills his tune.
The wild goose, homing, seeks a sheltering,
Where rushes grow, and oozing lichens cling.
Late cranes with heavy wing, and lazy flight,
Sail up the silence with the nearing night.
And like a spirit, swathed in some soft veil,
Steals twilight and its shadows o’er the swale.
Hushed lie the sedges, and the vapours creep,
Thick, grey and humid, while the marshes sleep.
Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
Explanation
Choice B is the best answer because it best describes the overall structure of the text. The text first establishes the setting, a "still lagoon," and then goes on to provide more details about the lagoon by presenting several descriptive images of nature, including a lizard that "shrills his tune," "oozing lichens," and "thick, grey and humid" vapors.
Choice A is incorrect. Instead of simply naming species, the text presents descriptive images of nature; further, instead of naming animals and then moving on to name plants, the text refers first to a plant ("the wild rice"), then to two animals ("the lizard," "the wild goose"), then to another plant ("rushes"), and so on. Choice C is incorrect because the text does not draw any comparison between nature and human emotions; it does not refer to human emotions at all. Choice D is incorrect. While the text does begin by identifying a specific location, a "still lagoon," it makes no mention of a person living there.