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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. In "A Scholar Looks at an Oak," what happens to the tree's limbs?

2. Who does Tolson compare Crispus Attucks to?

3. What color is the object the craftsman in "Damascus Bride" makes?

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

5. What does the black man want in "Tempo Primo"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. How does Tolson remove black men from responsibility in "Larghetto"?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does the Civil War affect the message Tolson's poetry? Choose one poem and discuss how the effects of the Civil War are demonstrated in that poem.

Essay Topic 2

Tolson creates and discusses many interesting people in his poems. Choose one person or couple he mentions in a poem explain how those people or characters help deliver the message of the poem.

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 650 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample