Question

And though my head felt heavy,

I played on till dusk

Missing flies and pop-ups and grounders

And calling out in desperation things like

“Yours” and “take it,” but doing all right,

Tugging at my cap in just the right way,

Crouching low, my feet set.

“Hum baby” sweetly on my lips.

—“How I Learned English,”
Gregory Djanikan

The poem is written in first-person point of view. What does knowing this information allow readers to do?

imagine what it is like to play baseball
peek into the speaker’s mind
understand the slang of baseball
know what the other characters are doing

Answer 1

peek into the speaker’s mind

First-person narration gives direct access to the speaker’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions—what they notice and how they experience the game—while limiting knowledge of other characters’ inner lives.