Poetry Meets the SAT: Can You Crack This Literary Question?

Poetry Meets the SAT: Can You Crack This Literary Question?

SAT reading passages aren’t always dry articles or scientific blurbs. Sometimes, they dive into poetry, and that’s where things can get tricky. If you’ve ever read a few beautiful lines and then thought, “Wait… what are they really asking me?”, you’re not alone. In this post, we’ll break down a real SAT-style poetry question based on a powerful 1923 poem by Angelina Weld Grimké. You’ll learn how to identify structure, mood, and deeper meaning all while building confidence for test day.

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The following text is from the 1923 poem “Black Finger” by Angelina Weld Grimké, a Black American writer. A cypress is a type of evergreen tree.

I have just seen a most beautiful thing,

Slim and still,

Against a gold, gold sky,

A straight black cypress,

Sensitive,

Exquisite,

A black finger

Pointing upwards.

Why, beautiful still finger, are you black?

And why are you pointing upwards?

Which choice best describes the overall structure of the text?

A) The speaker assesses a natural phenomenon, then questions the accuracy of her assessment.

B) The speaker describes a distinctive sight in nature, then ponders what meaning to attribute to that sight.

C) The speaker presents an outdoor scene, then considers a human behavior occurring within that scene.

D) The speaker examines her surroundings, then speculates about their influence on her emotional state.

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Ready to see how you did?

Click your answer choice below to reveal the correct response—along with a clear explanation to boost your SAT skills and strategy!

Answer A

Answer B

Answer C

Answer D

Too easy? Check our other posts for more examples.