AP Success - AP English Language: "We Are Virginia Tech"
This speech was delivered by Nikki Giovanni on 17 April 2007, one day after a mass shooting at Virginia Tech killed 32 students and professors.
We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands, being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. We are Virginia Tech. The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open hearts and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness. We are the Hokies. We will prevail. We will prevail. We will prevail. We are Virginia Tech.
Question 1
The repetition of "We are Virginia Tech" (lines 1, 4, 7, 14, 23) primarily serves to:
Emphasize the unity and collective identity of the community
Highlight the diversity within the Virginia Tech community
Contrast the current state of mourning with the institution's past
Introduce various perspectives from members of the Virginia Tech community
Provide a rhythmic structure to the passage
Question 2
In lines 5-6 ("we are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry"), the contrast between "stand tall tearlessly" and "bend to cry" illustrates the speaker's belief that:
Grief is inconsistent and unpredictable
Strength is shown through emotional restraint
Vulnerability is a form of bravery
Emotions should be suppressed for the sake of unity
Grieving processes differ among individuals
Question 3
The inclusion of various global tragedies in lines 8-13 serves to:
Draw a parallel between Virginia Tech and other suffering communities
Minimize the tragedy experienced by Virginia Tech
Emphasize the universality of undeserved suffering
Offer a solution to the community's grief
Provide a historical context for the tragedy
Question 4
In line 15 ("The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out..."), "embraces" and "reaches out" suggest that the community's response to tragedy is characterized by:
Isolation and introspection
Acceptance and support
Desperation and helplessness
Anger and retribution
Confusion and uncertainty
Question 5
The phrase "not quite what we want to be" (line 17) implies that the Virginia Tech community:
Has unrealistic expectations for itself
Is aware of its imperfections and strives for improvement
Rejects the current state of affairs entirely
Feels disconnected from its past
Is indifferent to self-assessment and growth
Question 6
In lines 18-19 ("We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness"), the phrase "invent the future" most likely means:
Ignore the past and focus solely on what lies ahead
Actively shape their destiny despite current hardships
Await an uncertain future without taking action
Reject any changes moving forward
Literally create new technologies as a form of coping
Question 7
The repetition of "We will prevail" (lines 20-22) functions to:
Acknowledge the community's past defeats
Inspire hope and determination within the community
Suggest that victory is the only acceptable outcome
Indicate a passive approach to overcoming challenges
Question the community's ability to overcome adversity
Question 8
The passage's overall tone can best be described as:
Resigned and melancholic
Hopeful and resilient
Detached and observational
Critical and demanding
Joyful and celebratory
Question 9
In the context of the passage, the repeated phrase "We are Virginia Tech" (lines 1, 4, 7, 14, 23) most likely serves to:
Remind the audience of the institution's reputation
Assert the community's collective identity in the face of tragedy
Distance the community from the tragedy
Emphasize the geographic location of the incident
Highlight the academic achievements of Virginia Tech
Question 10
The speaker's use of inclusive language ("we," "our") throughout the passage primarily aims to:
Assert the speaker's authority over the audience
Foster a sense of community and shared experience
Downplay the individual experiences of grief
Appeal to external audiences for sympathy
Differentiate between members and non-members of the community
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