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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 8 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What ideas are associated with the snow in this poem?

2. In line 1, "footsteps of a lass" is an example of which technique?

3. What does the expression "feet of clay" in line 15 refer to?

4. In line 16, what word does the speaker use to describe the feet of his own race?

5. Whose presence is implied in "To bend and barter at desire's call" (line 4)?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the form of this poem.

2. What indications does the speaker give that he feels the sex workers' choices indicate something about all Black people in America?

3. What is the poem's first image, and how does it set a tone for the rest of the poem?

4. Where is Harlem and why is it significant to the meaning of this poem?

5. How does McKay convey the idea that these women are sex workers?

6. How does the second stanza set up a contrast between dark and light?

7. How does the use of the word "prowling" contrast with the poem's previous descriptions of the women?

8. What does the poem conclude is the cause of the women's choice to pursue sex work?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is a long tradition of visual and literary artists using sex workers as symbols. In a patriarchal society where sex work is largely dominated by women and the arts have historically been dominated by men, this means a large number of male painters and writers trying to convey something about the world through the figure of the female sex worker. Is this inherently problematic? Is Claude McKay's use of female sex workers problematic in any way? Do some research into how sex workers have been portrayed in art and literature. Use this background information to develop your own opinion about the reasons these female figures have been used symbolically and the ethical implications of this use. Then, decide to what extent McKay's use of sex workers as symbols falls in line with traditional uses and whether you find his particular use of them to be ethical or unethical. Write an essay in which you take and defend a position on these issues, supporting your assertions with evidence drawn from "Harlem Shadows" and from your background research. Be sure to cite your evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Research the "call-and-response" pattern that influenced popular music through Black cultural traditions. How is this related to the idea of a refrain? Are all refrains in poetry part of this tradition, or did the refrain arise in poetry separately? What evidence is there in "Harlem Shadows" and in McKay's background to indicate whether McKay's use of a refrain in this poem is likely influenced by the call-and-response tradition or is instead a reflection of European poetic traditions? Write an essay that takes a position about whether there is sufficient evidence to form a theory about which influence is operating in "Harlem Shadows." Support your claims with evidence drawn from both the poem and from research into McKay's background and ideas. Cite all evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Some might argue that McKay's use of traditional meter and rhyme is a kind of prison for his ideas, forcing them into rigid forms that are no longer necessary in the Modern era. But other critics have argued that McKay uses these traditional techniques as a kind of clever mask--his poems have the presentation of the traditional British poetry he studied in school, but this traditional presentation masks revolutionary ideas. In the case of "Harlem Shadows," which perspective do you find more accurate? Write an essay that takes a position on the effectiveness of the traditional rhyme and meter in the poem, making clear whether or not it serves a useful function as a way to make McKay's ideas more palatable to audiences outside of his own Black community. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from both poems, and be sure to cite all evidence--including any outside sources you may choose to consult--in MLA format.

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