View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Who is Crispus Attucks?

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

3. What does the historian want to know in "A Primer for Today"?

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

5. Where are the bones of the man and snake left behind in "The Ballad of the Rattlesnake"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. Why does no one listen to the hillman in the poem "Vesuvius"?

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

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

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

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

10. What is the lesson that Tolson puts forth in "When Great Dogs Fight"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze the interaction between The Curator and Hideho Heights. How do the men treat one another? What is the significance of their relationship?

Essay Topic 2

Explain the concept of a new black man. What is Tolson's definition of this term, and how does he present this idea in his poems. Choose two poems to defend your answer.

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.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 717 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample