LXV [Once, I knew a fine song] by Stephen Crane
Once, I knew a fine song,
—It is true, believe me,—
It was all of birds,
And I held them in a basket;
When I opened the wicket, 5
Heavens! They all flew away.
I cried, “Come back, little thoughts!”
But they only laughed.
They flew on
Until they were as sand 10
Thrown between me and the sky.
6. If this poem were written in a closed form, how might it be different?
a) the tone would be more formal
b) there would be a stronger rhyme scheme
c) there would be more use of poetic devices
d) the poet would not use first-person references
e) the parallels between form and subject would increase
7. Which of the following best describes the relationship between meaning and meter in this poem?
a) the trochaic meter mimics the sound of the speaker's breath
b) the strict meter parallels the sound of the birds' wings beating
c) the shifting meter emphasizes the erratic behavior of the birds
d) the iambic meter highlights the classic nature of the bird as a subject
e) the anapestic meter illustrates the unexpected movement of the birds
9. In lines 4-5, he poet uses which of the following rhythmic elements?
a) end rhyme
b) exact rhyme
c) half rhyme
d) identical rhyme
e) internal rhyme
10. What is the purpose of the sound devices in lines 4-6
a) the onomatopoeia makes the reader feel closer and present for the birds' movement
b) the assonance shows the sound of the speaker's feet as he moves to free the birds
c) the cacophony illustrates that the speaker has mixed feelings about opening the basket
d) the alliterations demonstrates the speaker is lighthearted about his decision to let the birds go
e) the consonance emphasizes the regularity of the speaker's movement to contrast them with the birds'
