“Believe Me, if All Those Endearing Young Charms” by Thomas Moore
Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly today,
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
Like fairy-gifts fading away,
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art.
Let thy loveliness fade as it will.
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.
It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear;
No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close,
As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,
The same look which she turned when he rose.
Use the poem to answer the question.
Which of the following best explains the way the poem’s meter impacts the poem’s meaning?
A.
The pattern of stressed syllables emphasizes many key words in the poem.
B.
The meter shifts to draw attention to the most important line in the poem.
C.
The variations in meter suggest that the speaker is overwhelmed with emotion.
D.
The lack of a set metrical pattern indicates that the speaker freely expresses emotion.
E.
The use of a metrical pattern associated with light verse signals the ironic intent of the poem.
1 answer
1 answer