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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 is one common theme in the poems presented in the "Feet o' Jesus" section of "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes"?

2. What does the speaker say is a strong thing in "Spirituals"?

3. Who does Hughes dedicate "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes" to?

4. Where does the speaker find himself after dying in the poem "Judgment Day"?

5. What major era did Hughes contribute to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the speaker hope in the poem "Island"?

2. Who is gathered up in the poem "Litany"?

3. What does Hughes write in the introduction before the poem "Sunday Morning Prophecy" begins?

4. What theme unites the poems in "Distance Nowhere"?

5. What kind of tour does Hughes take the reader on in "Sea and Land"?

6. How does the speaker describe a dream in "Beale Street"?

7. For how long does the speaker in "Evil" plan to "keep on at it"?

8. What do many of the poems in the "Afro-American Fragment" section of "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes" have an undercurrent of?

9. What kind of imagery is most prevalent in the poems in the section "Sea and Land"?

10. Why do some African-Americans have a complicated relationship with Christianity, at least as is represented in "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role the blues plays in "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes," using at least 3 poems as evidence to support your thesis.

Essay Topic 2

Analyze 1) the tone of "50-50," 2) the relationship between the two characters in the poem, and 3) how the tone helps the reader better understand the relationship dynamics between these two characters. Make sure to include direct quotations from the poem to support your well-written thesis statement.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss why Hughes decided to name the section of "Selected Poems of Langston Hughes" that deals with the American South "Magnolia Flowers." Make sure to address the symbolism and imagery of a magnolia that Hughes taps into.

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This section contains 704 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample