A slow poem can be a sad one, or have tones of mystery. If the rhythm feels fast or agitated, it might be a way of showing anger or despair. Poets use rhythm and rhyme in clever ways, but fast or slow, they are usually trying to evoke some emotion out of the reader.
According to her she is there to protect the people, to be able to recognize their faces for safety. The truth is that she goes there because she wants to kill her.
I think the answer is rhetoric. This is used when you are trying to persuade
or get their point through a particular situation. This when she makes a rhetorical remark on
her determination to bury her brother though she tries to convince Ismene, she
fails.