The Black Man's Plea for Justice
Hear me, statesman,
I am pleading to defend
The black man’s cause.
Will you give me the protection
to outline your laws?
Will your lawyers plead my cases
in your courts?
Am I not a citizen?
I pay dear for transportation
over all your railroad track.
I come up to every requirement
and I will always pay my tax.
And when I don’t fill in blanks correctly,
will you kindly teach me how?
Ruling power of this nation,
will you give me justice now?
I prepared your wedding supper
and I dug your father’s grave.
I did everything you asked me
just because I was your slave.
I helped build your great bridges
and I laid your railroad steel.
Oh, I been a mighty power
in your great financial wheel.
And when I don’t do jobs correctly
will you kindly teach me how?
Ruling power of this nation
How does the poet’s use of syntax impact the poem?
A. He uses a series of questions to emphasize the need for justice.
B. He use sentence fragments to highlight his frustration.
C. He uses simple sentences to emphasize his desperation.
D. He changes tenses to highlight a shift in tone.
