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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 two lines of each stanza create a kind of refrain in this poem?

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

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

4. What is being referred to with the expression "silver break" (line 7)?

5. What color does the speaker assign to the sex workers' feet?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. Describe the form of this poem.

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Is the speaker of "Harlem Shadows" Claude McKay himself? Use evidence from both the poem and research on McKay's ideas to construct a convincing argument about whether or not McKay can reasonably be said to be the speaker of the poem. You do not have to prove that, without a doubt, McKay is or is not the speaker. You are only trying to demonstrate what the balance of the evidence implies. Support your arguments with both quoted and paraphrased evidence from the poem, and be sure to cite all evidence--including outside sources--in MLA format.

Essay Topic 3

What is the purpose of including musical devices like alliteration, assonance, consonance, and sibilance in "Harlem Shadows"? If McKay wanted the reader to notice these, why not make them more obvious? What value might they serve at an almost subliminal level? How does the effect they create support the poem's subject matter and tone, and what does it add to the reader's understanding of the poem's meaning? Write an essay in which you consider how McKay employs these devices, and why. Support your observations with both quoted and paraphrased evidence drawn from throughout the poem, and be sure to cite quoted evidence in MLA format.

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