Question

How does the reader understand in the first stanza of Langston Hughes' poem, "Little Old Letter," that
the content in the letter isn't happy news?

A. He says he turned "right pale."
B. He says he found the letter "yesterday."
C. He says he "found the letter."
D. He says he "looked in the box

Answer 1

A. He says he turned "right pale."

Answer 2

Answer:

A. He says he turned "right pale."

Explanation:

The poet receives a letter in the mail that he says makes him turn pale and takes away his life.

This is a poem of loss and the power of the written word. In it, the poet receives a letter whose contents so devastate him that he wishes to take his life.