The poem's repeated refrain, "who knows, who knows?" underscores a sense of uncertainty and longing, illustrating the speaker's despair over lost love and the passage of time. The consistent structure, with each stanza reflecting a cycle of yearning and loss, highlights the emotional depth of the speaker's contemplations on love and the inevitability of change.
A Song
by Paul Lawrence Dunbar
Thou art the soul of a summer's day,
Thou art the breath of the rose.
But the summer is fled
And the rose is dead
Where are they gone, who knows, who knows?
Thou art the blood of my heart o' hearts,
Thou art my soul's repose,
But my heart grows numb
And my soul is dumb
Where are thou, love, who knows, who knows?
Thou art the hope of my after years-Sun for my winter snows
But the years go by
'Neath a clouded SKy.
Where shall we meet, who knows, who knows?
In 1-2 sentences, explain a conclusion that can be drawn about the poem based on its structure.
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