Read the following poem: Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been so crystal stair It’s had…
The poem uses features characteristically associated with African-American English, including its vernacular grammar and forms of pronunciation. African-American English is…
Choose your answer
Read the following poem:
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been so crystal stair
It’s had tacks in it
And splinters
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a’climbin’ on,
And reachin’ Landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin in the dark,
Where there ain’t been no light
So boy, don’t you turn back;
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard;
Don’t you fall now -
For I’se still goin’, honey
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t no crystal stair.
Which colloquial form of English is used in the poem?
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been so crystal stair
It’s had tacks in it
And splinters
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor -
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a’climbin’ on,
And reachin’ Landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin in the dark,
Where there ain’t been no light
So boy, don’t you turn back;
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard;
Don’t you fall now -
For I’se still goin’, honey
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t no crystal stair.
Which colloquial form of English is used in the poem?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer D
The poem uses features characteristically associated with African-American English, including its vernacular grammar and forms of pronunciation. African-American English is therefore the most precise choice. American English is a broader category, while Indian English and Australian English do not identify the represented linguistic variety or the poem’s cultural setting.
Practice for these exams
-
UGC NET English