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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 artist did the Curator teach Black Diamond about?

2. What is culturally empty compared to Liberia according to "Libretto for the Republic of Liberia"?

3. Why will the narrator in "Beta" never be censored?

4. Who is Rufino Lauglin?

5. In "Tapestries of Time," what do the common people not dream about?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Doctor Nkomo feel that life and art are linked?

2. What is the significance of separating "Libretto for the Republic of Liberia" into musical segments?

3. Describe the different Gods Tolson describes in "The Idols of the Tribe."

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

5. What is Tolson's opinion on tyrants as seen in the poem "A Long Head to a Round Head"?

6. What is the danger of worshiping false idols according to Tolson?

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

8. Why does Tolson believe that despite the reign of tyrants justice will prevail?

9. What does Tolson believe is the greatest gift Africa has to give to its people according to "Libretto for the Republic of Liberia"?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

In the poem, "Libretto for the Republic of Liberia," Tolson compares America to the narrator's mother, Liberia to his wife, and Africa to his brother. What does Tolson mean by this comparison?

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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