Reread lines 11–20 of the poem. Then answer the multiple-choice questions that follow.

Question

From “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson
11 Stony the road we trod
12 Bitter the chast’ning rod,
13 Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
14 Yet with a steady beat
15 Have not our weary feet
16 Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
17 We have come over a way that with tears has been watered
18 We have come, treading our path thro’ the blood of the slaughtered,
19 Out from the gloomy past, till now we stand at last
20 Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
What effect does the author’s use of longer line lengths have in lines 17–18?
Answer choices for the above question

A. The greater number of words creates a peaceful cadence.

B. The longer line length calls attention to these key lines about hardships.

C. The longer line length calls attention the author’s desires for future equality.

D. The greater number of words creates a clipped and angry tone about injustice.
The author chooses to use apostrophes in lines 12 and 18 to—
Answer choices for the above question

A. ensure the stressed and unstressed syllables alternate.

B. ensure the stressed syllables and pauses occur regularly.

C. prevent the first syllables of the words from being stressed.

D. prevent the middle syllables of the words from being unstressed.

Answer 1

For the first question regarding the effect of the author's use of longer line lengths in lines 17–18, the correct answer is:

B. The longer line length calls attention to these key lines about hardships.

This choice highlights how the extended lines emphasize the weight and significance of the struggles faced, reflecting on the gravity of the journey described.

For the second question about the author's use of apostrophes in lines 12 and 18, the correct answer is:

A. ensure the stressed and unstressed syllables alternate.

The apostrophes indicate omitted sounds or syllables, which helps maintain the rhythmic flow of the poem while adhering to the patterns of stress and unstress in the meter.