Question

The Knight
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.

Answer 1

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.