Longing

Question

by Paul Laurence Dunbar



If you could sit with me beside the sea to-day,

And whisper with me sweetest dreamings o’er and o’er;

I think I should not find the clouds so dim and gray,

And not so loud the waves complaining at the shore.



If you could sit with me upon the shore to-day,

And hold my hand in yours as in the days of old,

I think I should not mind the chill baptismal spray,

Nor find my hand and heart and all the world so cold.



If you could walk with me upon the strand to-day,

And tell me that my longing love had won your own,

I think all my sad thoughts would then be put away,

And I could give back laughter for the Ocean’s moan!



Use the poem to answer the question.

Based on the poem’s structure, what can readers infer about the speaker?

(1 point)
Responses

The speaker wants to move to a new place away from the ocean.
The speaker wants to move to a new place away from the ocean.

The speaker dislikes the rhythm made by the ocean’s waves.
The speaker dislikes the rhythm made by the ocean’s waves.

The speaker thinks the clouds would not be so dim and gray if one particular person was with them.
The speaker thinks the clouds would not be so dim and gray if one particular person was with them.

The speaker feels lonely and believes that one particular person could bring joy back into their life.
The speaker feels lonely and believes that one particular person could bring joy back into their life.
Question 2
Use the poem to answer the question.

How does the use of the word complaining affect meaning in the first stanza?

(1 point)
Responses

It shows that a storm is about to happen.
It shows that a storm is about to happen.

It indicates that the sea is an important character.
It indicates that the sea is an important character.

It connects the sea to the speaker’s feelings.
It connects the sea to the speaker’s feelings.

It makes the sea a negative force in the poem.
It makes the sea a negative force in the poem.

Answer 1

Question 1: Based on the poem’s structure, what can readers infer about the speaker?

The correct inference is: The speaker feels lonely and believes that one particular person could bring joy back into their life.

This response captures the essence of the speaker’s longing and desire for companionship, which is evident throughout the poem as the speaker reflects on how the presence of a loved one could transform their feelings of sadness and isolation.

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Question 2: How does the use of the word "complaining" affect meaning in the first stanza?

The correct response is: It connects the sea to the speaker’s feelings.

The word "complaining" personifies the waves and suggests that their sound is reflective of the speaker's emotional state, emphasizing a sense of sorrow or dissatisfaction that aligns with the overall theme of longing in the poem.