Please help! Thank you! :)

What background knowledge would best support this inference about mario?

[he] let his gaze wander to the swirling water of the stream racing madly beneath his feet. a piece of dancing driftwood caught his attention and his eyes followed it down the current. how slowly it appeared to move! what a sluggish stream! what contrasting words are used to describe the stream in this passage?

2read this passage from "the raven." what is puzzling the speaker in this stanza? 60% but the raven still beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, straight i wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird, and bust and door then, upon the velvet sinking, i betook myself to linking fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore- what this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and ominous bird of yore meant in croaking "nevermore." s and what the raven's message is why the raven came to visit where the raven came from how the raven got into his room