Question

a dream within a dream
edgar allan poe
take this kiss upon the brow!
and, in parting from you now,
thus much let me avow —
you are not wrong, who deem
that my days have been a dream;
yet if hope has flown away
in a night, or in a day,
in a vision, or in none,
is it therefore the less gone?
all that we see or seem
is but a dream within a dream.

i stand amid the roar
of a surf-tormented shore,
and i hold within my hand
grains of the golden sand —
how few! yet how they creep
through my fingers to the deep,
while i weep — while i weep!
o god! can i not grasp
them with a tighter clasp?
o god! can i not save
one from the pitiless wave?
is all that we see or seem
but a dream within a dream?

4 multiple choice 3 points
what of nature does poe use in the poem to help convey the theme?

• poe uses the sea shore and grains of sand
• poe uses a dense, dark forest.
• poe uses a grove of large oak trees.
• poe uses the night sky full of stars.

5 multiple choice 3 points
which lines can be described as a violet that expresses the speaker’s lament for lost dreams?

• lines 1-3
• lines 5-7
• lines 9-11
• lines 16-18

6 multiple choice 3 points
which of the following statements is true about the structure of the poem?

• the poem is free verse; no rhyme scheme and no meter.
• the poem follows a regular rhyme scheme but does not include meter.
• the poem has 14 lines, a measured meter, and a standard rhyme scheme.
• the poem contains rhyming couplets and has a consistent meter.

Explanation:

Question 4

To answer this, we analyze the poem "A Dream Within a Dream". The poem has lines like "I stand amid the roar / Of a surf-tormented shore, / And I hold within my hand / Grains of the golden sand". So Poe uses the sea shore and grains of sand (from nature) to convey the theme. The other options (a dream, large oak trees, night sky of stars) are not present as nature elements used here.

A violet (in poetry, a passionate or intense expression) for lost dreams. Let's check the lines:

• Lines 1 - 3: "Take this kiss upon the brow! / And, in parting from you now, / Thus much let me avow —" are about parting, not lost dreams.
• Lines 5 - 7: "You are not wrong, who deem / That my days have been a dream; / Yet if hope has flown away" – "hope has flown away" and the dream - like days relate to lost dreams. The speaker's lament for lost dreams is here.
• Lines 9 - 11: "In a night, or in a day, / In a vision, or in none, / Is it therefore the less gone?" are more about the nature of what's gone, not the lament.
• Lines 16 - 18: "Through my fingers to the deep, / While I weep — while I weep! / O God! can I not grasp" are about the sand slipping, more about the present struggle, not lost dreams.

Analyze the poem's structure:

• Option 1: The poem has rhyme (e.g., "brow" and "avow", "sand" and "hand"), so not free verse. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The poem has meter (the rhythm of syllables, like iambic or other measured beats) and a rhyme scheme. So saying no meter is wrong. Eliminate.
• Option 3: The poem has more than 14 lines, so this is wrong. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The poem has rhyming couplets (e.g., "dream" and "dream" in some stanzas, "sand" and "hand") and a consistent meter (the rhythmic pattern of syllables). This fits.

Answer:

A. Poe uses the sea shore and grains of sand

Question 5