"I Look at the World" by Langston Hughes

Which detail from the poem best shows how the speaker wants to change the world?

• "This fenced-off narrow space / Assigned to me." (Lines 4-5)

• "I look then at the silly walls / Through dark eyes in a dark face — " (Lines 6-7)

• "That all these walls oppression builds / Will have to go!" (Lines 9-10)

• "I look at my own body / With eyes no longer blind — " (Lines 11-12)

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CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Which lines from the poem best expresses the speaker's attitude toward oppression?

• "From awakening eyes in a black face —" (Line 2)

• "I look then at the silly walls" (Line 6)

• "I look at my own body" (Line 11)

• "Then let us hurry, comrades" (Line 15)

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CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

How do the phrases "this fenced-off narrow space" (Line 4) and "walls oppression builds" (Line 9) develop the meaning of the poem?

• They describe the way freedom looks to oppressed people.

• They illustrate how the speaker plans to combat oppression.

• They reveal how oppression limits people's opportunities in life.

• They highlight how neighbors build walls and fences to keep people out.

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CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

In lines 15-16, the speaker says, "Then let us hurry, comrades, / The road to find." What is the most likely interpretation of these lines?

• The speaker wants their friends to find their true passions in life.

• The speaker wants others to join them in pursuing a better world.

• The speaker wants to move to a different community with their friends.

• The speaker wants to run from their problems rather than confront them.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

Are there still "walls" that segregate and limit people's lives today? Explain your thinking.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.11-12.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.11-12.7

CCSS.RL.9-10.7