Develop Claims With Evidence: Poetry Practice Test

Read the poem and the student’s claim.

Poem:

At the protest, my sign sweats in the sun.

Cardboard softens, letters bleeding.

A child on someone’s shoulders waves

as if this were a parade.

Police helmets shine—blank mirrors—

and I see my mouth open, making no sound.

Claim: The poem conveys the speaker’s fear that their voice is rendered powerless by authority.

Which option best supports the claim with evidence?

Read the poem and the student’s claim.

Poem:

The rain starts during the soccer game.

Parents lift umbrellas like dark flowers.

The referee’s whistle cuts the air,

sharp as a snapped twig.

My daughter slips in the mud, laughs,

and keeps running—newly fearless.

Claim: The poem suggests resilience is learned through embracing imperfect conditions.

Which option best supports the claim?