Question

In "The Cremation of Sam McGee," the first stanza repeats at the end of the poem.

How does this repetition influence the poem's meaning?

Responses

The first stanza introduces what the speaker does to Sam McGee; by the last stanza, the reader better understands the "strange things" that have happened.
The first stanza introduces what the speaker does to Sam McGee; by the last stanza, the reader better understands the "strange things" that have happened.

The first stanza describes how the speaker cremates Sam McGee; the last stanza shows that the speaker never actually cremates Sam McGee.
The first stanza describes how the speaker cremates Sam McGee; the last stanza shows that the speaker never actually cremates Sam McGee.

The first stanza introduces the people who look for gold in the Arctic; by the last stanza, the reader knows that no one really looked for gold.
The first stanza introduces the people who look for gold in the Arctic; by the last stanza, the reader knows that no one really looked for gold.

The first stanza describes what the speaker thinks Lake Lebarge will be like; the last stanza shows how Lake Lebarge really appears.

The first stanza describes what the speaker thinks Lake Lebarge will be like; the last stanza shows how Lake Lebarge really appears.