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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. At twenty-two, how does Esther decide that she feels about Barlo?

2. How many sons did Becky have?

3. Which celestial orb does the author use in "Evening Song" to describe Cloine?

4. What does Cloine do while the speaker observes her?

5. What is the main fault of the Christian god in "Conversion"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the author describe the forest in "Nullo"?

2. How does the narrator describe Carma?

3. Given the content of the poem "Conversion," how might the author feel about the process of conversion?

4. What does the speaker want the woman to do in "Her Lips are Copper Wire"?

5. How does Cloine relate physically to the speaker's emotions in "Evening Song"?

6. How does Rhobert feel about his personal struggles affecting his family?

7. When Esther is nine, she witnesses Barlo making a public speech about what?

8. What does the speaker ultimately decide to do about his hunger in "Harvest Song"?

9. How is the sound of the storm described in "Storm Ending"?

10. What is the purpose of the "Song of the Son"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Women play a huge role in Jean Toomer's "Cane". How are they depicted? Does Toomer seem to respect or disrespect women? Which characters do we see supporting this assertion?

Essay Topic 2

In sections one and two of "Cane," we see a significant shift from viewing the experience of the rural African American to the urban African American. Compare and contrast the experience for rural and urban African Americans as depicted in "Cane".

Essay Topic 3

Throughout "Cane," the reader is shown men in danger of temptation. By what are these men tempted? How do they give into or resist this temptation? What are the potential benefits or consequences of this temptation? What might we infer Toomer is trying to say about temptation?

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