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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 does Tolson claim in "Dark Symphony" that the black man has less of then white men?

2. Who is Lin Yutang?

3. What color is the object the craftsman in "Damascus Bride" makes?

4. What sounds does the poet hear in "Rendezvous With America"?

5. What happens to the teacher at the end of "The Gallows"?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is hatred the downfall of white men in "The Blindness of Scorn"?

2. Why is it important that Tolson does not identify the race of the person who tells the story in "The Ballad of the Rattlesnake"?

3. What does Tolson mean when he suggests there is truth in death in "A Song for Myself"?

4. What historical events does Tolson believe tested the powers of Americans in "Rendezvous with America"? What was the result of these events?

5. How does "The Street Called Straight" become crooked?

6. What is the purpose of the use of religion in "Rendezvous with America"?

7. Why does the teacher die in "The Gallows"?

8. What is Tolson's final message to the reader in "Tempo di Marcia"?

9. How does Babylon symbolize America in the poem "Babylon"?

10. How does Tolson remove black men from responsibility in "Larghetto"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

One of the themes that reoccurs in Tolson's poetry is that of the hardworking every-man. Chose one poem where this theme is present and explain how Tolson presents it using imagery and symbolism.

Essay Topic 2

What role does race play in Tolson's poems? Choose two poems and explain how Tolson demonstrates his opinions on race in these poems. The poems may present similar or conflicting views.

Essay Topic 3

What impact did Lincoln have on Tolson's life? Choose examples from Tolson's poems that suggest what relationship Tolson had with Lincoln. Why does Tolson hold Lincoln in such high esteem?

(see the answer keys)

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