Question

which addition would best offer an extended definition following sentence 9 (reproduced below)?
james weldon johnson’s \lift every voice and sing\ borrows from the tradition of epic poetry

• epic poetry usually centers around a narrative about a heros actions.
• johnson modernizes the form of epic poetry by making certain changes.
• the tradition of epic poetry has been around for thousands of years.
• many poems borrow from a long line of traditional literary elements.

Explanation:

An extended definition of epic poetry should clarify its core characteristics. The first option directly describes the key trait of epic poetry (focus on a hero's narrative), which expands on what the tradition entails. The other options either discuss Johnson's adaptation, the age of the tradition, or general literary borrowing, which do not define the form itself.

Answer:

Epic poetry usually centers around a narrative about a hero's actions.