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

Short Answer Questions

1. What city is the main character in Poem Eight from?

2. What happens when the main character arrives to the docks at the end of Poem Nine?

3. According to the narrator, what happens when Beau learns that the main character is pregnant again in Poem Nineteen?

4. What feels strange to the narrator of Poem Thirteen?

5. What does the main character do to keep her Beau away in Poem Nineteen?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does the playwright choose to craft the narrative of the play out of poems instead of conversational text? What are the pros and cons of using this technique? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

How does the playwright use colloquial language in the play? Why is it necessary for her to use colloquial language in this type of work? Please use specific examples from the book.

Essay Topic 3

Poem nineteen, "A Nite with Beau Wille Brown," is a longer narrative than many of the other poems in the play. Why do you think Shange chose to make this poem a longer narrative than the others in the play? How else does this poem differ from the others in the play? Please use examples from the book to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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