Question

complete the rhyme scheme:

\ah! what is not a dream by day a
to him whose eyes are cast ?
on things around him with a ray ?
turned back upon the past?\

\a dream\ by edgar allan poe

a-b-b-a
a-b-a-b

Explanation:

Identify the end words

We examine the final word of each line in the stanza:

• Line 1: "day"
• Line 2: "cast"
• Line 3: "ray"
• Line 4: "past"

Assign rhyme variables

We assign letters to represent the rhyming sounds:

• "day" is the first sound, labeled A.
• "cast" does not rhyme with "day", so it is labeled B.
• "ray" rhymes with "day" (Line 1), so it is labeled A.
• "past" rhymes with "cast" (Line 2), so it is labeled B.

Determine the scheme

Combining these labels in order gives the pattern:

• Line 1: A
• Line 2: B
• Line 3: A
• Line 4: B

This corresponds to the alternating rhyme scheme A-B-A-B.

Connect to literary context

This stanza is from "A Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe, a prominent figure in American Romanticism. Romantic poets frequently used structured, musical rhyme schemes like A-B-A-B to create a lyrical flow that enhances the emotional and dreamlike atmosphere of their work.

Answer:

• A-B-B-A
• A-B-A-B (Correct answer)