Question

Read the excerpt from the passage.

What was he doing, the great god Pan,
Down in the reeds by the river?
Spreading ruin and scattering ban,
Splashing and paddling with hoofs of a goat,
And breaking the golden lilies afloat
With the dragon-fly on the river.

He tore out a reed, the great god Pan,
From the deep cool bed of the river:
The limpid water turbidly ran,
And the broken lilies a-dying lay,
And the dragon-fly had fled away,
Ere he brought it out of the river. (lines 1–12)
How do these stanzas help develop the author’s tone?


A. by highlighting the author’s respectful tone toward Pan through the stanzas’ references to “the great god”

B. by highlighting the author’s playful tone toward Pan through the use of the phrase “Splashing and paddling”

C. by highlighting the author’s suspicious tone toward Pan through the use of the question “What was he doing, the great god Pan, / Down in the reeds by the river?”

D. by highlighting the author’s critical tone toward Pan through the descriptions of him “Spreading ruin” and “breaking the golden lilies

Answer 1

D. The stanzas describe Pan's destructive actions ("Spreading ruin," "breaking the golden lilies," torn reed, turbid water), which produces a critical tone toward him rather than respect, playfulness, or mere suspicion.