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

3. What crash does "Larghetto" assert black men were not involved in?

4. What is the town logo in "The Town of Fathers"?

5. What is the name of an historic place Tolson visits in "Rendezvous With America"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. Why is it important that Tolson does not identify the race of the person who tells the story in "The Ballad of the Rattlesnake"?

6. How do different people view the world in "A Primer for Today"?

7. What message is Tolson trying to send with the blade in "The Damascus Bride"?

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

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

10. What historical events does Tolson believe tested the powers of Americans in "Rendezvous with America"? What was the result of these events?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does description play a role in an author's work? How does the author use description to draw the reader into the poem? What are some examples where the description does not work? Cite two poems and explain how the description helps or hinders the poet's message.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss one of the characters in the Harlem Galleries. How does this character change from the beginning to the end of the collection? Do you believe Tolson allows the character to change if he or she does? Why does Tolson choose to allow the character to remain stagnant if he or she does? Choose one other character in the Harlem Galleries and explain their relationship with the initial character you chose.

Essay Topic 3

What is metaphor? Define this term and cite three examples of where Tolson uses metaphor in his poetry. Explain how this metaphor lends to the overall message of the poem.

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