Read this excerpt from Countee Cullen's poem "The Dark Tower," and then complete the sentences that follow.

We shall not always plant while others reap The golden increment of bursting fruit, Not always countenance, abject and mute, That lesser men should hold their brothers cheap; Not everlastingly while others sleep . . .

When Cullen speaks of planting while others reap, and standing "abject and mute," he is speaking about the (1.) _ injustices present in American society. As these injustices have changed over time, the American (2.)_ has also shifted. Those changes are, in turn, reflected in American literature.

1. A) racial
B) internal
C) casual

2. A) focus
B) identity
C) response

The answers are A and B.

When Cullen speaks of planting while others reap, and standing "abject and mute," he is speaking about the racial injustices present in American society. As these injustices have changed over time, the American identity has also shifted. Those changes are, in turn, reflected in American literature.

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annyksl annyksl · Answer 2 · 2021-08-19T19:36:52+02:00

The first blank must be filled in with the word "racial," while the second blank must be filled in with the word "identity." That's because Cullen is resenting how social injustices are impacting American identity.

In this case, Cullen stresses the idea that a society transformed and maintained on the basis of racial injustice will not have a good identity, and should not be admired. That's because:

Social injustices lead to an unequal society.
Inequality creates problems such as racism and intolerance.
Racism and intolerance cause cultural and social instability.
A nation with an identity tainted by inequality, prejudice and instability is not well regarded.

With this, we can conclude that Cullen's poem shows that social injustices are not only bad for the members of society, but also for the vision and positioning of a nation in relation to others.

You can find more information about social injustice at the link below:

https://brainly.com/question/17592411?referrer=searchResults