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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. Who is the speaker of the poem entitled "Madam and the Rent Man"?

2. How much money does the subject of the poem "Brass Spittoons" make per day?

3. For what reason does the speaker of the poem "Madam and the Rent Man" refuse to pay rent?

4. How many rooms does the house have that is featured in the poem entitled "Madam and the Rent Man"?

5. What country is NOT mentioned within the poem entitled "Good Morning Revolution"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In what way are the themes of brutality and oppression intertwined within the poem "Ku Klux"?

2. In what way is the theme of isolation depicted within the poem entitled "Little Old Letter"?

3. What is the main literary device Hughes uses within the poem entitled "Joy"?

4. The poem entitled "I, Too" is a response to a poem by what famous American author?

5. What types of sensory details are featured within the poem entitled "Graduation," and for what purpose are these details included?

6. In what way is the theme of racially-motivated brutality present within the poem entitled "The Bitter River"?

7. What is the Existential viewpoint of the poem entitled "I Dream a World"?

8. The poem "Madam and Her Madam" utilizes humor in what way?

9. In the poem entitled "Widow Woman," how is the technique of hyperbole utilized?

10. In what way is the water motif depicted differently within the poem "The Bitter River" than in many other works within the Vintage Hughes collection?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Analyze Hughes's focus on the theme of brutality in the collection entitled Vintage Hughes. What message is Hughes sending about change and about one other theme of your choice?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Hughes's messages about guilt and responsibility within the collection Vintage Hughes. Focus especially on events such as Cora’s inability to save Jessie from her hateful and reputation-obsessed mother.

Essay Topic 3

Could a particular poem or story within the collection entitled Vintage Hughes be classified as a coming-of-age story? Why or why not?

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