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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Tolson repeat the same stanzas of the poem "The Mountain Climber"?

2. What do the townspeople become interested in during the poem "The Street Called Straight"?

3. How long does Tolson say blacks were enslaved in "Andante Sostenuto"?

4. What president is mentioned in "The Dictionary of the Wolf"?

5. In "Tempo Primo," what black heroes are mentioned?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the lesson that Tolson puts forth in "When Great Dogs Fight"?

2. How does the story of the sheep and the wolf in "The Dictionary of the Wolf" symbolize racism?

3. Why is it important that Tolson does not identify the race of the person who tells the story in "The Ballad of the Rattlesnake"?

4. Why do the black men laugh at the farmer in "Old Man Michael"?

5. What is Tolson's final message to the reader in "Tempo di Marcia"?

6. How do different people view the world in "A Primer for Today"?

7. What does Tolson believe the "new black man" embodies according to "Tempo Primo"?

8. Why does the teacher die in "The Gallows"?

9. List two important, historical people that Tolson mentions in "Rendezvous with America." Why does he mention these people, and what did they contribute to America?

10. In "Dark Symphony," how does Tolson suggest black men formed a brotherhood?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why is the word tapestries important in the poem "Tapestries of Time"?

Essay Topic 2

What impact did Lincoln have on Tolson's life? Choose examples from Tolson's poems that suggest what relationship Tolson had with Lincoln. Why does Tolson hold Lincoln in such high esteem?

Essay Topic 3

What role does race play in Tolson's poems? Choose two poems and explain how Tolson demonstrates his opinions on race in these poems. The poems may present similar or conflicting views.

(see the answer keys)

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