BRAINLIEST + 50 pts!


Read these lines from the poem. They refer to the biblical story of Samson.


Upon the pillars of the temple laid

His desperate hands, and in its overthrow

Destroyed himself, and with him those who made

A cruel mockery of his sightless woe;

The poor, blind Slave, the scoff and jest of all,

Expired, and thousands perished in the fall!


In the Bible, God gives Samson immense physical strength. But Samson is tricked by evil people into losing his strength. The evil people capture Samson, blind him, and make him a slave. Samson asks God to give him strength once more so he can seek revenge on the evil people, and God does. Samson destroys their temple, killing many of them, and killing himself in the process. Longfellow compares the slaves in America to Samson.


How does this allusion affect the tone of the poem?



A. The poem sounds like a religious lecture or sermon, designed to inspire slaves to rise up against their masters.



B. The poem’s tone is stern, comparing slaves to the evil people who captured Samson.



C. The poem sounds like a caution that slavery does not only harm slaves, but may damage the entire country.



D. The poem’s tone is critical of slaves because they do not stand up for themselves the way Samson does.