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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. In the first image of the sex workers, what is being emphasized?

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

3. What color does the speaker assign to the sex workers' feet?

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

5. Which two lines of each stanza create a kind of refrain in this poem?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. Describe the form of this poem.

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay in which you consider the symbolic imagery of feet in "Harlem Shadows." Consider their structural placement throughout the poem and what this is meant to convey. Consider how these feet and footsteps are described--what feelings and associations are they meant to convey? Consider their use as synecdoches to represent the sex workers and how this transfers feelings and ideas to the sex workers, as well. Be sure to show how the symbolic imagery related to feet and footsteps supports the overall meaning of the poem, and support your assertions with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem. Cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Read Claude McKay's poem "On Broadway" (widely available online). In this poem, you will also see a speaker immersed in a New York environment, observing a nighttime scene. You will see the personification of desire as well as references to feet, the heart, and ceaseless motion. All of these elements are very like "Harlem Shadows"--but the intent of "On Broadway" is very different. Write an essay comparing and contrasting these two poems. Show how it is possible for two poems by the same author to have so many elements in common and yet convey very different ideas about life. Be sure to support your assertions with evidence from both poems and to cite your sources in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

Read Claude McKay's poem "America" (widely available online). Note the use of antithesis in this poem. How is it similar to the use of antithesis in "Harlem Shadows"? How is it different? Write a comparison and contrast of the use of antithesis in these two poems. Show how the technique is used in each poem and offer commentary on its purposes. Support your observations with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite quoted evidence in MLA format.

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