The following text is from William Blake’s poem, “The Shepherd,” originally published in Songs of Innocence and Experience.How sweet is the shepherd’s sweet lot!From the morn to the evening he strays;He shall follow his sheep all the day,And his tongue shall be filled with praise. For he hears the lambs’ innocent call,And he hears the ewes’ tender reply;He is watchful while they are in peace,For they know when their shepherd is nigh.Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?To acknowledge the hardships the shepherd endures while caring for his sheepeliminateTo praise the shepherd for his good workeliminateTo call attention to the shepherd’s long dayseliminateTo recount a memory of an encounter with a shepherd in the field

The following text is from Maggie Pogue Johnson’s1910 poem “Poet of Our Race.” In this poem, thespeaker is addressing Paul Laurence Dunbar, a Blackauthor.Thou, with stroke of mighty pen,Hast told of joy and mirth,And read the hearts and souls of menAs cradled from their birth.The language of the flowers,Thou hast read them all,And e’en the little brookResponded to thy call.Which choice best states the main purpose of thetext?A) To praise a certain writer for being especiallyperceptive regarding people and natureB) To establish that a certain writer has readextensively about a variety of topicsC) To call attention to a certain writer’s careful andelaborately detailed writing processD) To recount fond memories of an afternoon spentin nature with a certain writer

The following text is from Paul Laurence Dunbar’s 1913 poem “Life.”A crust of bread and a corner to sleep in,A minute to smile and an hour to weep in,A pint of joy to a peck of trouble,And never a laugh but the moans come double;And that is life!A crust and a corner that love makes precious,With a smile to warm and the tears to refresh us;And joy seems sweeter when cares come after,And a moan is the finest of foils for laughter;And that is life!Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?To demonstrate that life contains more hardships than joyeliminateTo show that happiness is based on material objects like bread and a place to sleep ineliminateTo suggest that even though life is filled with hardships, the hardships make moments of joy more meaningfuleliminateTo posit that a life without love is not a life that's worth living

Thou, with stroke of mighty pen, Hast told of joy and mirth, And read the hearts and souls of men As cradled from their birth. The language of the flowers, Thou hast read them all,, And e'en the little brook Responded to thy call. which choice best states the main purpose of the text? A) To praise a certain writer for being especially perceptive regarding people and nature 3 Io establish that a certain writer has read extensively about a variety of topics C) To call attention to a certain writer's careful and elaborately detailed writing process

The following text is adapted from William Blake’s 1794 poem The Chimney Sweeper: A little black thing among the snowA little black thing among the snow:Crying weep, weep, in notes of woe!Where are thy father & mother? say?They are both gone up to the church to pray.And because I am happy, & dance and sing,They think they have done me no injury:And are gone to praise God & his Priest & KingWho make up a heaven of our misery.What is the main idea of the text? The speaker sees a poor orphaned child. eliminateThe speaker sees a child who is lost. eliminateThe speaker finds a child on the way to church. eliminatedThe speaker finds a child who is remarkably happy but alone. eliminate

The following text is adapted from William Blake’s 1789 poem “Nurse’s Song." The poem is written in the voice of a nurse addressing children playing outside.When the voices of children are heard on the green,   And whisperings are in the dale,The days of my youth rise fresh in my mind,   My face turns green and pale.Then come home, my children, the sun is gone down,   And the dews of night arise;Your spring and your day are wasted in play,   And your winter and night in disguise.What is the main idea of the text?The nurse worries about the dangers children encounter while playing outside.eliminateThe nurse laments how time is wasted in youth while watching children play.eliminateThe nurse watches children play and thinks about her own child.eliminateThe nurse is comforted by the pastoral scene of children playing outside on the green.