Question

read the excerpt from \my city\ by james weldon johnson. will it be that no more i shall see the trees or smell the flowers or hear the singing birds or watch the flashing streams or patient herds? no, i am sure it will be none of these. how does the poets use of punctuation develop the tone of contemplation in this excerpt? it forces the reader to consider whether the speaker is presenting truthful ideas. it explains to the reader that the speaker is consumed by memories of the past. it helps signal to the reader that the speaker is grappling with a particular thought. it pushes the reader to engage in trying to answer the question the speaker poses

Explanation:

The use of question - marks and commas slows down the reading pace. This gives the reader time to understand that the speaker is deeply thinking about a thought, which is characteristic of a contemplative tone.

Answer:

It helps signal to the reader that the speaker is grappling with a particular thought.