Question or statement?

Question

This is a passage from a poem:

What is love, but the passion I feel in my heart?

What is passion, but the energy of my soul?

What is my soul, but a fountain of emotions erupting?

My question is, should those lines end with a question mark or period.

<< My question is, should those lines end with a question mark or period. >> should end with a question mark. The three lines of poetry may be either questions the poet wants answering by the reader, or more likely all rhetorical questions. Both require question marks. — Edwin Ashworth, Aug 27 '20 at 18:01
Does this answer your question? When is it appropriate to end a question without a question mark? — Edwin Ashworth, Aug 27 '20 at 18:11
My uncertainty has to do with the "but" conjunction. The sentence appears as a question beginning with "what" but it is answered in the same sentence. Grammarly suggests a question mark. But the sentence is to be read as a statement and not meant to prompt a question in the reader's mind. — stellarknight, Aug 27 '20 at 18:41
What, other than the energy of my soul. is passion? / Other than the energy of my soul, what could/can passion be? — Edwin Ashworth, Aug 27 '20 at 18:44
@stellarknight How does the existence of but actually answer the question? — Jason Bassford, Aug 27 '20 at 21:59

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 15 '21 at 23:58

It's dangerous to apply the grammar of prose to poetry. Here's, the punctuation changes the poet's observations on the nature of love. With periods, she has solved the mysteries of the heart. With question marks she at least acknowledges she might be just as lost as the rest of us.

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 28 '20 at 00:55

They're rhetorical questions.

And even though they're effectively answering themselves, they're still in the form of a question, so should end with question marks.

Another way to phrase them that makes the questioning nature clearer would be

Is love anything but than the passion I feel in my heart?
Is passion anything but the energy of my soul?
Is my soul anything but a fountain of emotions erupting?

Question or statement?

2 Answers2