Fantasy

Question

by Gwendolyn Bennett

I sailed in my dreams to the Land of Night

Where you were the dusk-eyed queen,

And there in the pallor of moon-veiled light

The loveliest things were seen…

A slim-necked peacock sauntered there

in a garden of lavender hues,

and you were strange with your purple hair

As you sat in your amethyst chair

With your feet in your hyacinth shoes.

Oh, the moon gave a bluish light

Through the trees in the land of dreams and night.

I stood behind a bush of yellow-green

And whistled a song to the dark-haired queen…

"Fantasy" by Gwendolyn Bennett

Question
Use the poem to answer the question.

How does the structure of the poem affect its meaning?

(1 point)
Responses

The use of three quatrains gives a consistent, ordered quality to the speaker’s whimsical descriptions of the dream.
The use of three quatrains gives a consistent, ordered quality to the speaker’s whimsical descriptions of the dream.

Each stanza has a different rhyme scheme, leading the reader through different moments in the speaker’s dream.
Each stanza has a different rhyme scheme, leading the reader through different moments in the speaker’s dream.

The last stanza’s two couplets emphasize the change in setting from the first and second stanzas.
The last stanza’s two couplets emphasize the change in setting from the first and second stanzas.

A litany structure allows the poem to have a sing-song quality that aligns with the peaceful setting.
A litany structure allows the poem to have a sing-song quality that aligns with the peaceful setting.
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Answer 1

The best response to the question regarding how the structure of the poem affects its meaning is:

The use of three quatrains gives a consistent, ordered quality to the speaker’s whimsical descriptions of the dream.

This option highlights how the structured format contributes to the overall dreamlike quality of the poem, reinforcing the themes of fantasy and imagination present in the speaker's experience. Each quatrain contributes to a cohesive image of the dream landscape, enhancing the poem's whimsical nature.