Question

21
which statement best describes how the structure of the poem \the runner\ contributes to its overall meaning?
a the use of long sentences highlights the speaker’s understanding that his role as a parent is complicated.
b the chronological organization of events reveals that a long time has passed since the speaker’s daughter was a young child.
c the movement between past and present events shows that what the speaker observes in the present brings up memories.
d the inclusion of questions indicates that the speaker wonders whether some of the events he describes really happened.

Explanation:

The question asks how the poem’s structure contributes to its meaning. The left text snippet shows shifts between present (e.g., "watching your small figure" at night) and past (e.g., "when you were playing on our lawn," "the day that you wore... running shoes") events. This movement links present observations to past memories, which aligns with option C. Option A is unsupported (no mention of long sentences highlighting parental complexity). Option B is narrow (chronological order isn’t the focus—shifts between tenses are). Option D is incorrect (questions reflect reflection, not doubt about events’ reality).

Answer:

C. The movement between past and present events shows that what the speaker observes in the present brings up memories.