Read the extract given below and answer the questions (Q. Nos. 106–111) that follow :
You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.
Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that is wondrously clear

I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

“I am the dream and the hope of the slave” shows that the poet is a/an

The correct answer is optimist.

Explanation:
The line “I am the dream and the hope of the slave” reflects the poet's positive outlook towards the future. Even though the ancestors faced oppression and slavery, the poet stands tall as a fulfillment of their dreams and represents hope for a better, freer life. Since the poet focuses on hope, rising above pain, and looking forward to a "daybreak that is wondrously clear," this attitude is fundamentally optimistic.
Let us analyze the meaning of the given options to understand why "optimist" is the best fit:
1. Optimist: A person who tends to be hopeful and confident about the future or the success of something. The poet's determination to rise ("like air, I’ll rise") and bring hope shows optimism.
2. Cynic: A person who believes that people are motivated purely by self-interest rather than acting for honorable or unselfish reasons. This does not match the poet's hopeful stance.
3. Nihilist: A person who believes that life is meaningless and rejects all religious and moral principles. The poem is full of meaning, purpose, and cultural heritage, which is the opposite of nihilism.
4. Pessimist: A person who tends to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen. The poet actively rejects defeatism and chooses to rise above past suffering, so she is not a pessimist.