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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is tied to the rattlesnakes tail in "The Ballad of the Rattlesnake"?
(a) A rock.
(b) A stick.
(c) A fork.
(d) A bone.

2. Where does "The Shift of Gears" take place?
(a) A school.
(b) A house.
(c) A yard.
(d) A garage.

3. Who does Tolson compare Crispus Attucks to?
(a) Patrick Henry.
(b) Frederick Douglas.
(c) George Washington.
(d) Sam Wheat.

4. How do the black men respond to the farmer in "Old Man Michael"?
(a) They fear him.
(b) They laugh at him.
(c) They kick him.
(d) They hate him.

5. What type of animal is featured in "The Bard of Addis Ababa"?
(a) A lion.
(b) A cat.
(c) A bear.
(d) A dog.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does the poem "The Bard of Addis Ababa" take place?

2. Who does the skull the mountain climber finds belong to?

3. What can bad men not escape according to "A Song for Myself"?

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

5. Who does the bard in "The Bard of Addis Ababa" call to?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is hatred the downfall of white men in "The Blindness of Scorn"?

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

3. Describe Tolson's vision of a poet in the "The Poet."

4. Describe the bard in "The Bard of Addis Ababa."

5. What does Tolson mean when he suggests there is truth in death in "A Song for Myself"?

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

7. What might "The Shift of Gears" be a metaphor for?

8. How does Tolson define bravery in the poem "The Big Game Hunter"?

9. What is the poet trying to prove in his poem "Rendezvous with America"? How does he prove this?

10. Why does the narrator in "An Ex-Judge at the Bar" feel guilty, and how does he appease this guilt?

(see the answer keys)

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