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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. Where does Johnson say in the poem 'The Prodigal Son,' the road away from one's father lead?

2. What does the speaker ask God for in 'Listen, Lord'?

3. How does God create light?

4. What does the boy in 'The Prodigal Son' compare his new life to?

5. Who else, besides the woman, sees Death in 'Go Down Death'?

Short Essay Questions

1. How will people know that Judgment Day arrives? Who will notify them?

2. Who is the last righteous man on earth in the poem 'Noah Built the Ark,' and how does God reward him?

3. What does the preacher interject into the middle of the poem 'The Prodigal Son'?

4. How does Sister Caroline react to seeing God?

5. What question does the preacher ask his congregation at the end of the poem 'Judgment Day'?

6. In the poem 'The Creation' what does the rain cause to form on earth?

7. In 'Listen, Lord', what does the preacher describe the congregation as?

8. In the poem 'The Prodigal Son,' what becomes of the son after living in Babylon?

9. What sign does God deliver at the end of 'Noah Built the Ark' and what does the sign mean?

10. What does stanza one of 'The Prodigal Son' warn men about?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the roles of Pilate and Judas in the crucifixion. Describe each individual. How does Johnson describe them? What role did each play in Jesus' crucifixion? Who is ultimately to blame for the crucifixion?

Essay Topic 2

Provide detailed autobiographical information about the author and explain how his life influenced his choice to write these poems.

Essay Topic 3

Choose one poem of Johnson's and discuss it's rhyming scheme. What is rhyming scheme? How do rhymes enhance a poem? Why does Johnson choose that specific rhyming scheme for the poem?

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