Question

Who is Mr. Turner's Ben, and how did he learn

Answer 1

Answer:

Mr. Turner's Ben is a slave called Ben who belonged to Mr. Turner. This means that Mr. Turner is the master of Ben. Mr. Turner's Ben learnt to read by eavesdropping(hearing from others)  when the other children were reading the lessons.

Below is the evidence from the the text in Stanza 6 of the poem:

And there was Mr. Turner's Ben,

Who heard the children spell,

And picked the words right up by heart,

And learned to read 'em well.

Explanation:

"Learning To Read" is a poem by Francis Ellen Watkins Harper. She is an African-American poet who assisted slaves to escape via the Underground Railroad.

The poem simply portrayed the value of learning among the black slaves during and after slavery. At the time of their slavery, they understood that their freedom is hinged on lietracy so, they went after it by all means.