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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. What does the mechanic in "The Shift of Gears" tell the narrator?

2. What does the mechanic in "The Shift of Gears" compare shifting too?

3. Who meets in the sanctuary in "The Triumph Aster"?

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

5. Where does "The Shift of Gears" take place?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is the purpose of the use of religion in "Rendezvous with America"?

3. What does Tolson hope for himself in the poem "A Song for Myself"? What does he hope for the reader?

4. What is the significance of the the sign in "The Town of Fathers" that reads "The Blackest Land / And The Whitest People"?

5. How does Tolson demonstrate that Crispus Attucks is a hero in "Allegro Moderato"?

6. Who are the bad people that Tolson mentions in his poem "Rendezvous with America," and why does he feel the need to mention them?

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

8. 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?

9. Why did Tolson decide to split "Dark Symphony" into titles that are musical movements?

10. In "A Scholar Looks at an Oak," how is the black man represented?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes that reoccurs in Tolson's poetry is that of the hardworking every-man. Chose one poem where this theme is present and explain how Tolson presents it using imagery and symbolism.

Essay Topic 2

Define the term symbolism and explain the symbolism present in "The Mountain Climber."

Essay Topic 3

How does Tolson use symbolism in the poem "The Gallows"? What is the meaning behind the symbolic element(s) in this poem?

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