Question

The Quote:


The seven years’ difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm: I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge.


— James Baldwin, "Sonny’s Blues"



Analyze:


1. What function does the colon serve in this sentence?



2. How would the meaning and impact of the sentence change if the sentence read as follows:


The seven years’ difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm, and I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge.



Apply:


Write two independent clauses; join the two with a colon, giving emphasis to the independent clause which follows the colon. Use Baldwin’s sentence as a model

Answer 1

In this question we are going to talk about the poem by James Baldwin, and answer the questions asked.

To analyze:

1. What is the function of the colon in this sentence?

Introduce a clarification or explanation.

2. How would the meaning and impact of the sentence change if the sentence were read as follows:

The seven-year gap in our ages was like a chasm between us, and I wondered if those years would work between us like a bridge.

Thus without the colon, the second part of the text is not inserted as an explanation, but a statement.

To apply:

Write two independent clauses; join the two with a colon, giving emphasis to the independent clause that follows the colon. Use Baldwin's phrase as a model

The river is green: but I thought it was blue.

With this information, we talk about the poem by James Baldwin, and answer the questions asked.

Learn more about clarification in brainly.com/question/24679469