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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 the poem "Old House," whose ghost is not welcome?

2. What does the poem "The Triumph Aster" hope for?

3. What does the white man tell the black man to forget in "Andante Sostenuto"?

4. What time period does "Lento Grave" discuss?

5. How does the poet describe Michael in "Old Man Michael"?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. What might the volcano's eruption signify in the poem "Vesuvius"?

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

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

7. 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?

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

How does the setting effect the reader's experience of the poem? Does it matter that the poem is set in another country or time period? Describe the setting of the poem of you choice and explain how it effected your experience of the poem.

Essay Topic 3

Choose two significant events Tolson mentions in "Rendezvous With America." What are these events and why does Tolson include them in this poem?

(see the answer keys)

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