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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 places does the narrator discuss in "Alpha"?

2. According to "Omicron," what is the school of the artist?

3. What does "ex" stand for in "Beta"?

4. What religion was celebrated in Timbuktu?

5. Who does the Golden Age occur with?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does the narrator define himself in "E.&O.E."?

2. How does Tolson address tyranny in the poem "Tapestries of Time"?

3. What role does the Curator play in the Harlem Gallery poems?

4. According to Tolson in the poem "The Idols of the Tribe," who is likely to worship false idols?

5. Explain your interpretation of the line "You are / Black Lazarus risen from the White Man's grave" from the poem "Libretto for the Republic of Liberia."

6. Why does the poem "The Idols of the Tribe" open with a quote from Hitler?

7. What is the significance of the Harlem Gallery according to Tolson?

8. In "Pi" it is written that art without limits can climb mountains. What is meant by this?

9. Why does Tolson suggest in "Epsilon" that a nod of approval is the worst thing for an artist?

10. How does Tolson believe tyrants remain in power?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

When considering Tolson's life, where do you believe he found the inspiration for his poems? What does this book cause you to think about the author's life? What do you believe inspired Tolson more, the present or past?

Essay Topic 2

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

Essay Topic 3

What poem does the quote "The Blackest Land / And The Whitest People" come from? Explain the significance of this quote to the poem and how it explains the message of the poem.

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This section contains 640 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample