1.) Read the first stanza and see how closely the description of the Jazz player is made and fill in the columns in the table.
| 1. Face | Wrinkled- face, full of worries, rough and unshaven face |
|---|---|
| 2. Eyes | Closed-eyes, still down eyes |
| 3. Ears | Still closed ears |
| 4. Shirt | Faded-blue old shirt, turns dark with sweat |
| 5. Collar | Frayed- collar |
| 6. Jacket | Worn out, old |
| 7. Shoes | Run-down shoes and has papers in them |
2.) Why do you think the Jazz player keeps his head down? [lines 1-6]
Answer: The Jazz player was an old man who had lost interest in his life. He was lonely and sad so he kept his head down.
3.) The word ‘old’ has been repeated several times in the first two stanzas. What does this suggest?
Answer: The word ‘old’ has been repeated to show that not only he was old in age, but all the things he possessed was also old.
4.) What description do the lines from 13 to 18 suggest about the Jazz player?
Answer: The lines 13 to 18 suggest that the old man had completely lost interest in his life. He didn’t care about his clothes or how he looked. He had pain that could be seen on his wrinkled face. He was lonely.
5.) a) Read the lines from 19 to 25 carefully. Is there any change in the stature of the Jazz player?
Answer: Yes, we do find some changes in the stature of the Jazz player. He has his head still down and eyes closed but ears opened up.
Answer: He was mediating that he wanted to tell to the world loudly that he was the Black Man.