Nora: A Serenade

Question

by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Ah, Nora, my Nora, the light fades away,

While Night like a spirit steals up o’er the hills;

The thrush from his tree where he chanted all day,

No longer his music in ecstasy trills.

Then, Nora, be near me; thy presence doth cheer me,

Thine eye hath a gleam that is truer than gold.

"Nora: A Serenade" by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Question
Use the stanza to answer the question.

Which line from this stanza has a caesura?

(1 point)
Responses

“No longer his music in ecstasy trills.”
“No longer his music in ecstasy trills.”

“Then, Nora, be near me; thy presence doth cheer me,”
“Then, Nora, be near me; thy presence doth cheer me,”

“The thrush from his tree where he chanted all day,”
“The thrush from his tree where he chanted all day,”

“While Night like a spirit steals up o’er the hills;”
“While Night like a spirit steals up o’er the hills;”

Answer 1

A caesura is a pause or break within a line of poetry, often occurring in the middle of the line. In the stanza you provided, the line that has a clear caesura is:

“Then, Nora, be near me; thy presence doth cheer me,”

The comma creates a pause, which divides the line into two distinct parts. Therefore, the correct response is:

“Then, Nora, be near me; thy presence doth cheer me,”