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

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

3. What are the sex workers wearing on their feet?

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

6. Describe the form of this poem.

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

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

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

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 3

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.

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