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!
"Longing" by Paul Laurence Dunbar
Question
Use the poem to answer the question.
What is one way in which diction affects the meaning of the poem?
(1 point)
Responses
The repetition in each stanza highlights the speaker’s love for the sea.
The repetition in each stanza highlights the speaker’s love for the sea.
The repetition in each stanza highlights the speaker’s feelings of loneliness.
The repetition in each stanza highlights the speaker’s feelings of loneliness.
The word choice contributes to an angry mood.
The word choice contributes to an angry mood.
The word choice contributes to a joyful mood.
The word choice contributes to a joyful mood.
1 answer
The best response is:
The repetition in each stanza highlights the speaker’s feelings of loneliness.
This choice reflects how the speaker’s longing for companionship by the sea emphasizes their sense of isolation and yearning for a more joyful connection. The repetition of phrases about desire and companionship underscores the emotional weight of the speaker’s solitude.
