Question

Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;
Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O'er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk1 is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.
Which feature does “Song” share with all lyric poetry?
A. It expresses a single speaker’s thoughts and feelings.
B. It is written about events in the author’s life.
C. It tells a story with characters and a setting.
D. It rhymes and has a regular rhythm.

Answer 1

A. It expresses a single speaker’s thoughts and feelings.

Explanation: Lyric poetry is characterized by a single speaker expressing personal emotions or thoughts. "Song" addresses "my heart" and conveys the speaker’s feelings about staying home. The other options are incorrect because lyric poems need not recount the poet’s actual life (B), are not primarily narrative with characters and setting (C), and do not always rhyme or have regular meter (D).