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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. Which lines of each stanza are indented?

2. In lines 2 and 3, the expression "when the night lets fall/ Its veil" is an example of which technique?

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

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

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

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. Describe the form of this poem.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Harlem Shadows," how does the personification in the first stanza create an aura of sympathy around the sex workers' situation? Does that sympathy continue throughout the poem? What feelings are attributed to the women? Are their voices ever heard? How is the choice to attribute feelings to them and not let them speak for themselves consistent with the purpose of the personification in the first stanza? How do other techniques, like antithesis, metonymy, synecdoche, diction, imagery, and symbolism work together with that personification to remove agency from the sex workers? How does this loss of agency support the poem's meaning? Write an essay in which you consider how McKay uses personification and other rhetorical devices to create a unified picture of the sex workers as more object than subject. Use both quoted and paraphrased evidence to support your claims, making sure to cite quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

How does Claude McKay use diction in "Harlem Shadows" to convey meaning to the reader? Consider the level of formality and connotations of his word choices as well as patterns in the way diction creates tone and reveals the speaker's perspective. Show how these elements of diction contribute to the reader's understanding of the poem's meaning. Use both quoted and paraphrased evidence to support your claims, making sure to cite quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

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.

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