Question

the following text is from the 1923 poem \black finger\ by angelina weld grimké, a black american writer. a cypress is a type of evergreen tree.
i have just seen a most beautiful thing,
slim and still,
against a gold, gold sky.
a straight black cypress,
sensitive,
exquisite,
a black finger
pointing upwards.
why, beautiful still finger, are you black?
and why are you pointing upwards?

13 mark for review report 5
which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?
a the speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.
b the speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.
c the speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.
d the speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.

Explanation:

The poem first describes the cypress tree (a natural sight: "slim and still, straight black cypress, exquisite") against the gold sky. Then the speaker poses rhetorical questions about the tree, pondering its purpose and meaning in framing it as a "black finger" pointing upwards. Option A is incorrect because the speaker does not question her own assessment. Option C is incorrect as there is no human behavior in the scene. Option D is incorrect because the speaker does not reflect on her own emotional state or the scene's influence on it.

Answer:

B. The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.