Use the poem "Recuerdo" by Edna St. Vincent Millay to complete the activity.

Question

(1) We were very tired, we were very merry—

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.

It was bare and bright, and smelled like a stable—

But we looked into a fire, we leaned across a table,

We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;

And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came soon.

(2) We were very tired, we were very merry—

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry;

And you ate an apple, and I ate a pear,

From a dozen of each we had bought somewhere;

And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold,

And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold.

(3) We were very tired, we were very merry,

We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry.

We hailed, “Good morrow, mother!” to a shawl-covered head,

And bought a morning paper, which neither of us read;

And she wept, “God bless you!” for the apples and pears,

And we gave her all our money but our subway fares.

How do the repeated lines contribute to the overall meaning of the poem? Pick two (2) answers.

(2 points)
Responses

They emphasize the ride on the ferry.
They emphasize the ride on the ferry.

It makes the poem easier to understand.
It makes the poem easier to understand.

The back and forth matches the ferry ride.
The back and forth matches the ferry ride.

It makes the ferry ride exciting.

Answer 1

The repeated lines contribute to the overall meaning of the poem in the following ways:

1. The back and forth matches the ferry ride. - The repetition of the phrase emphasizes the cyclical nature of the experience, mirroring the literal journey of going back and forth on the ferry. This reinforces the theme of movement and transition in the poem.

2. They emphasize the ride on the ferry. - By repeating these lines, the poet underscores the significance of the ferry ride as a central element of the experience shared by the characters, highlighting its impact on their feelings of tiredness and merriment.