Question

Which best describes the speaker in this poem?

O a manager who designs and carries out war plans
O an officer who teaches soldiers how to win wars
O an activist who persuades politicians to end a war
O a motivator who encourages readers to fight oppression

Answer 1

Based on the poem "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay, the best description of the speaker is:

--> D. a motivator who persuades readers to fight oppression.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem has a defiant and empowering tone, urging the readers to resist oppressive forces even in the face of death. The speaker advocates not with anger but with "calm and reason", appealing to the dignity and courage within the readers to stand up for justice. The powerful language is meant to encourage and inspire readers to continue the fight against oppression, discrimination and injustice.

For example, the lines "If we must die, let it not be like hogs/ Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot" call readers to fight oppression with valor and honor rather than passively accepting mistreatment. The speaker urges readers to "meet the common foe" and "Make no word our weeping" but instead "spend", "love and give" in the struggle "ere we turn and crouch" under oppression.

So overall, the motivational and inspirational tone of persuading readers to actively fight injustice positions the speaker as an activist who aims to rouse the spirit of resistance within the oppressed, rather than as an officer, manager or war planner. The focus is on activism through moral and ethical appeals rather than through military or strategic means.