Question

clem goes off to get a new one of those books hes reading. i head back to poetry to get another book, and he waits while i check it out. upstairs and out on the sidewalk clem asks which way i’m walking. \over to wabash,\ i say. \i’ll walk with you a ways,\ he says, not even asking if it’s okay. we walk a block without saying anything at all.... \what’s poetry about?\ clem asks. \poetry’s about a lot of things, i guess.\ \like love and flowers.\ clem laughs, elbowing me in the side. \sometimes, i guess. but i like the poems that talk about other stuff.\ \what is it you like about ’em?\ clem sounds serious, like he really wants to know. \i like that it feels like...like someone is talking just to you. and that someone else knows what it feels like being...you. i can’t explain it..., \ i say, feeling mad i can’t say in words what i mean. why does langston like poetry? options: he thinks some of the ideas make him more serious. it helps him feel like someone understands his life. he thinks the words show him how to say what he means. it helps him learn about things like flowers and love.

Explanation:

To determine why Langston likes poetry, we analyze his quote: "I like that it feels like...like someone is talking just to you. And that someone else knows what it feels like being...you." Now we match this to the options:

• Option 1: The text doesn't mention poetry making him more serious. Eliminate.
• Option 2: His quote shows he likes that poetry makes him feel understood (someone knows his life experience). This matches.
• Option 3: The text says he struggles to explain his feelings in words, so poetry doesn't show him how to say what he means. Eliminate.
• Option 4: He says he likes poems about "other stuff" besides love/flowers, so learning about flowers/love isn't the reason. Eliminate.

Answer:

B. It helps him feel like someone understands his life.