Harlem Shadows Test | Final Test - Hard

This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 37 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.

Harlem Shadows Test | Final Test - Hard

This set of Lesson Plans consists of approximately 37 pages of tests, essay questions, lessons, and other teaching materials.
Buy the Harlem Shadows Lesson Plans
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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. Whose presence is implied in "To bend and barter at desire's call" (line 4)?

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

4. In the first image of the sex workers, what is being emphasized?

5. What does the word "shod" in line 12 refer to?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

4. Describe the form of this poem.

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Read Claude McKay's poem "America" (widely available online). Note the use of antithesis in this poem. How is it similar to the use of antithesis in "Harlem Shadows"? How is it different? Write a comparison and contrast of the use of antithesis in these two poems. Show how the technique is used in each poem and offer commentary on its purposes. Support your observations with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 2

Write an essay in which you consider the symbolic imagery of feet in "Harlem Shadows." Consider their structural placement throughout the poem and what this is meant to convey. Consider how these feet and footsteps are described--what feelings and associations are they meant to convey? Consider their use as synecdoches to represent the sex workers and how this transfers feelings and ideas to the sex workers, as well. Be sure to show how the symbolic imagery related to feet and footsteps supports the overall meaning of the poem, and support your assertions with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem. Cite any quoted evidence in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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