The Courtin' is a 95 lines long poem. Since it has been written in 1874, it was the end of the Victorian era which the poem illustrates the complexities of the time. The poem shows the mentality war of traditional and modern values of the time in the lights of the love of two main character in the poem. They break the traditional rules and fear the approval of their parents. Lowell describes the courtship amidst this confusion.
I would describe her words/tone as "solemn."
He was bold, you could tell, not by the way he walked, talked, or even by the way he shouted at the peasants below him, but by what he was wearing. A dark, long black cloak that caught in the wind as he strutted past his enemies as they bowed before him, black goggles you could not see his eyes through, wild white locks, and shiny black boots that glistened as they caught the slivers of light shining through the night. He was incredible. He stretched out his hand to grab the powerful wand, not yet touching it, when I noticed a gaping scar on his left hand. I was so in awe that I could not stand. Would this be the end of life as we know it?
I hope this helps, this was taken from one of the stories I am currently writing. :)
Have a wonderful day!
Answer:
I believe the answer should be the first option: to guide the research