Question

Read the excerpt from the passage.

As Syrinx was returning from the dark hills of Lycæus, Pan, crowned in sharp pine leaves, spied her. Slighting his affections, she fled through pathless spots until her course was blocked by sandy Ladon’s gentle streams. It was on this shore where she begged her watery sisters to change her. Pan, certain that Syrinx was in his grasp, had seized hold not of the body of the Nymph, but some reeds from the marsh. While Pan was sighing there, the soft winds moving amid the reeds made a murmuring noise. Charmed by this new discovery and the sweet, plaintive sound, he said, “This mode of converse with thee shall ever remain with me.” (paragraph 2)
How does this description of the setting contribute to the text’s tone?


A. It highlights the tone of somberness experienced by Pan, who sighs by the reeds after he realizes he has not caught Syrinx.

B. It highlights the tone of mockery of Pan, who tries to capture Syrinx only to find he has grabbed some reeds instead.

C. It highlights the tone of admiration toward Syrinx, who successfully flees Pan despite challenges.

D. It highlights the tone of nostalgia experienced by Pan, who discovers Syrinx has disappeared from the shore.

Answer 1

D. The setting’s plaintive, windswept imagery and Pan’s sighing emphasize a wistful, nostalgic tone—he turns Syrinx’s disappearance into a remembered “conversation” with her through the reeds.