Verbs like am, is, are, was, were do not show action; they are verbs of being. They tell us about a state of being or existence. They don’t give any meaning but they are used to describe a subject. The be verbs are followed by a noun or an adjective or an adverb.
I would say his purpose is to show how she and her community live everyday something near that
Answer: In the first stanza, the poet's tone is sad and serious, disturbed, at not seeing anyone like herself in the magazines. She seems ashamed to be black.
In the second stanza the poet's word choices show a sense of pride: queenly, honey-colored, bronzed skin... The tone has shifted to confident and joyful. The images she describes-- nappy hair, thick lips... purple lips, shining pearls-- are part of who she is, and make her proud to be black, and should inspire the reader to see black as beautiful too.
