As it can be seen, the “music” of a poem is essential part of its meaning. However, this music can be lost if the reader does not pay close attention to the form and to each word of each line. The poet is very careful when he writes his poem, and he uses many different ways to allow the reader to feel the music and understand the meaning of his words. One of the techniques William Stafford used to create this poem was what we called run-on lines, which is:

Ver texto associado

Leia o texto a seguir para a questão.

Mouse Night: One of our games

William Stafford

We heard thunder. Nothing great – on high

ground rain began. Who ran through

that rain? I shrank, a fieldmouse, when

the thunder came – under grass with bombs

of water scything stems. My tremendous

father cowered: “Lions rushing make

that sound,” he said: “we'll be brain-washed

for sure if head-size chunks of water hit us.

Duck and cover! It takes a man

to be a mouse this night,” he said.