Question

Read the excerpt from "On Imagination” by Phillis Wheatley.

Now here, now there, the roving Fancy flies,
Till some lov'd object strikes her wand'ring eyes,
Whose silken fetters all the senses bind,
And soft captivity involves the mind.

Imagination! who can sing thy force?
Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?

How does the poet’s use of rhyme scheme in the excerpt contribute to the tone?

It creates a pensive tone that shows the speaker’s feelings on the power of imagination.
It creates a suspicious tone that conveys the speaker’s distrust toward imagination.
It creates an annoyed tone that demonstrates the speaker’s inability to define imagination.
It creates a humorous tone that stresses the speaker’s attitude about the quirks of imagination.

Answer 1

It creates a pensive tone that shows the speaker’s feelings on the power of imagination.

The paired rhymes (AABBCC) give a steady, reflective rhythm and the close couplets emphasize the speaker’s contemplative admiration (e.g., “silken fetters,” “soft captivity”) for imagination’s power and swiftness.