Question

Select the correct answer.
Why is the poem "Ode to a Skylark" an example of a Horatian ode?
A. because its stanzas are of uniform length

B. because it is filled with figurative language

C. because it is filled with references to myths

D. because it pays tribute to the figure of the skylark

Ode to a Skylark
by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Hail to thee, blithe Spirit!
Bird thou never wert,
That from Heaven, or near it,
Pourest thy full heart
In profuse strains of unpremeditated art.

Higher still and higher
From the earth thou springest
Like a cloud of fire;
The blue deep thou wingest,
And singing still dost soar, and soaring ever singest.

In the golden lightning
Of the sunken sun,
O'er which clouds are bright'ning,
Thou dost float and run;
Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun.

Answer 1

Two key elements that identify a Horatian ode are:
1.) The pattern of the rhyme scheme is consistent within the entire poem, shown in each stanza of the poem
and
2.) Like odes in general, they are a dedication or praise of something/someone that interests or inspires the poet, but unlike other odes, the Horatian ode is limited in its emotion.

In this case, the pattern is ABABB, and it is carried out in each stanza so option A.) could be correct, although "uniform length" isn't specific enough to describe the rule (1) for a Horation ode.
Therefore, the strongest response to this question is most likely D.) as it is "dedicated" (2) or "pays tribute" to the skylark in a personal, yet reserved, formal tone.

Good luck (: