Read the excerpt from Judith Ortiz Cofer’s poem “El Olvido.” a bare, cold room with no pictures on the walls, a forgetting place where she fears you will die of loneliness and exposure. Jesús, María, y José , she says, el olvido is a dangerous thing. Which strategy would be most helpful in enhancing the reader’s comprehension of the poem?
Answer
A
skimming the lines for familiar words
B
rewriting each line by hand
C
establishing the meaning of words in English and Spanish
D
breaking the lines into shorter phrases
Explanation
The excerpt includes both English and Spanish, and understanding the Spanish words helps reveal the poem’s meaning. For example, “el olvido” means “forgetfulness” or “oblivion,” while “Jesús, María, y José” means “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” Establishing the meanings of words in both languages is therefore the most helpful strategy.
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