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.
Based on the poem’s structure, what can readers infer about the speaker?
(1 point)
Responses
The speaker dislikes the rhythm made by the ocean’s waves.
The speaker dislikes the rhythm made by the ocean’s waves.
The speaker thinks the clouds would not be so dim and gray if one particular person was with them.
The speaker thinks the clouds would not be so dim and gray if one particular person was with them.
The speaker wants to move to a new place away from the ocean.
The speaker wants to move to a new place away from the ocean.
The speaker feels lonely and believes that one particular person could bring joy back into their life.
1 answer
The best response based on the poem's structure and content is:
The speaker feels lonely and believes that one particular person could bring joy back into their life.
This inference is supported by the speaker's expressions of longing and desire for companionship, suggesting that being with this specific person would alleviate their sadness and bring happiness to their life.
