Question

Click to read "I Am Offering this Poem" by Jimmy Santiago Baca. Then answer the question. The word hogan means "small, safe dwelling space." How does this word contribute to the overall emotion expressed in the third stanza of the poem? A. It contributes to the emotion of being tired and overwhelmed. B. It contributes to the emotion of feeling lost and directionless. C. It contributes to the emotion of safety and comfort. D. It contributes to the emotion of being cold and lonely.

Answer 1

The answer is C. The small, safe dwelling place provides safety and comfort.

Answer 2

C. It contributes to the emotion of safety and comfort.

The poem is an offering of safety and comfort. The poem repeats "I love you" throughout as part of his message to his audience. The poem is meant to be a place where the audience can find safety and comfort. In the stanza with the word hogan, he tells the reader to knock on the door and he will "make you feel safe." Even though the speaker addresses the emotions of the reader as possible feeling tired, overwhelmed, lost, directionless, cold and lonely, the speaker is offering safety and comfort to help the reader because of his love for the reader.