by Rainer Maria Rilke
The Knight rides forth in a coat of mail
Into the roar of the world.
And here is Life: the vines in the vale
And friend and foe, and the feast in the hall,
And May and the maid, and the glen and the grail;
God’s flags afloat on every wall
In a thousand streets unfurled.
Beneath the armor of the Knight
Behind the chain’s black links
Death crouches and thinks and thinks:
“When will the sword’s blade sharp and bright
Forth from the scabbard spring
And cut the network of the cloak
Enmeshing me ring on ring—
When will the foe’s delivering stroke
Set me free
To dance
And sing?”
"The Knight" by Rainer Maria Rilke
Question
Use the poem to answer the question.
What is the effect of the poet’s use of caesura?
(1 point)
Responses
It highlights how the Knight must brave life in a suit of armor.
It highlights how the Knight must brave life in a suit of armor.
It emphasizes the different things Death thinks about.
It emphasizes the different things Death thinks about.
It shows the reader how Death wants to be free to dance and sing.
It shows the reader how Death wants to be free to dance and sing.
It draws the reader’s attention to the list of important things in the Knight’s life.
It draws the reader’s attention to the list of important things in the Knight’s life.
1 answer
The effect of the poet’s use of caesura is best described by the response:
It draws the reader’s attention to the list of important things in the Knight’s life.
Caesura, or a deliberate pause in a line of poetry, can create emphasis on certain phrases or ideas, allowing readers to reflect on the significant aspects of the Knight's existence as presented in the poem.
