God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse Papers & Assignment Topics

Essay Topics/Writing Assignments

These 20 essay questions can be used as essay questions on a test, or as stand-alone essay topics for a take-home or in-class writing assignment. Students should have a full understanding of the text in order to answer these questions. They ask for a thorough analysis of the text.

1. Provide detailed autobiographical information about the author and explain how his life influenced his choice to write these poems.

2. Define the literary term voice as it applies to poetry. Whose voice does Johnson use in his poems? How does this influence the poetry? How does it influence the reader? Use specific examples to explain your argument.

3. Discuss the significance of the term "Empty pitchers waiting to be filled." Which poem does this line appear in? What does it refer to? Analyze the term in the context of the poem.

4. Discuss the...
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