Question

exploring navajo culture through the song

mid the lightnings,
mid the lightning zigzag,
mid the lightning flashing,
comes the rain,
comes the rain with me.
mid the swallows,
mid the swallows blue,
chirping glad together,
comes the rain,
comes the rain with me.
through the pollen,
through the pollen blest,
all in pollen hidden,
comes the rain,
comes the rain with me.

which message does the repetition make clear?
choose the best answer.

rain can only come with lightning and thunder.
rain is in the center of all natural things: the lightning, the swallows, and even the pollen.
as far as man can see, there is nature: lightning, swallows, pollen, and rain.
some rain may come when lightning flashes, swallows chirp happily, and pollen is hidden.

Explanation:

Analyze the poem's structure

Using the Poetic Purpose knowledge point
The poem consists of three stanzas, each describing different natural elements: lightnings, swallows, and pollen. At the end of every stanza, the lines "Comes the rain," and "Comes the rain with me." are repeated. This structural repetition emphasizes that rain is the central, unifying event connecting all these diverse natural occurrences.

Evaluate the options

Using the Poetic Theme Analysis knowledge point

• Option 1: "Rain can only come with lightning and thunder" is too literal and scientifically restrictive, ignoring the swallows and pollen stanzas.
• Option 2: "Rain is in the center of all natural things, the lightning, the swallows, and even the pollen" directly explains how the repeated lines place rain at the core of each natural scene described.
• Option 3: "As far as man can see, there is nature..." misses the specific focus on rain created by the repetition.
• Option 4: "Some rain may come when..." is a passive summary rather than an analysis of the message made clear by the repetition.

Therefore, the second option is the most accurate interpretation.

Answer:

• Rain can only come with lightning and thunder
• Rain is in the center of all natural things, the lightning, the swallows, and even the pollen (Correct answer)
• As far as man can see, there is nature: lightning, swallows, pollen, and rain.
• Some rain may come when lightning flashes, swallows chirp happily, and pollen is hidden.