3.08Unit Test: Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance Part 1
1. (In total 100 points other 50 points will be on the next one i post)
Read the poem.

A Black Talks of Reaping
by Arna Bontemps

I have sown beside all waters in my day.
I planted deep, within my heart the fear
that wind or fowl would take the grain away.
I planted safe against this stark, lean year.

I scattered seed enough to plant the land
in rows from Canada to Mexico
but for my reaping only what the hand
can hold at once is all that I can show.

Yet what I sowed and what the orchard yields
my brother’s sons are gathering stalk and root;
small wonder then my children glean in fields
they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.
Part A
What is a theme of the poem "A Black Talks of Reaping" by Arna Bontemps?

If one works hard, their labor is always fruitful.

Taking precautions doesn’t always yield a satisfactory outcome.

Despite intense labor, prejudice allows others to reap the benefits.

Inequality and righteousness propel a strong person to combat injustice.
Part B
Which detail from the poem best develops the theme identified in Part A?

“small wonder then my children glean in fields / they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.”

“but for my reaping only what the hand / can hold at once is all that I can show.”

“I planted deep, within my heart the fear / that wind or fowl would take the grain away.”

“I scattered see enough to plant the land / in rows from Canada to Mexico"
2.
Read the poem.

A Black Talks of Reaping
by Arna Bontemps

I have sown beside all waters in my day.
I planted deep, within my heart the fear
that wind or fowl would take the grain away.
I planted safe against this stark, lean year.

I scattered seed enough to plant the land
in rows from Canada to Mexico
but for my reaping only what the hand
can hold at once is all that I can show.

Yet what I sowed and what the orchard yields
my brother’s sons are gathering stalk and root;
small wonder then my children glean in fields
they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit.

What does the line "my children glean in fields they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit" from "A Black Man Talks of Reaping" suggest?

Despite working hard in the fields, black farmers faced injustice while trying to feed their families.

The speaker’s children are given leftovers because they did not help their father with the harvest.

The speaker’s children must participate in harvesting the crops if they want to eat well.

No matter how hard the speaker works to grow food, most of the crops are not edible.
3.
Read the poem.

The Tropics in New York
by Claude McKay

Bananas ripe and green, and ginger root,
Cocoa in pods and alligator pears,
And tangerines and mangoes and grape fruit,
Fit for the highest prize at parish fairs,

Set in the window, bringing memories
of fruit-trees laden by low-singing rills,
And dewy dawns, and mystical skies
In benediction over nun-like hills.

My eyes grow dim, and I could no more gaze;
A wave of longing through my body swept,
And, hungry for the old, familiar ways,
I turned aside and bowed my head and wept.
Read these lines from “The Tropics in New York.”

Bananas ripe and green, and ginger root,
Cocoa in pods and alligator pears

How do these lines affect the poem?

They contrast with the image of the fruit trees.

They evoke sensory images of color, texture, and smell.

They demonstrate the speaker’s surprise.
4.
In “Any Human to Another,” Cullen describes that when people share each other’s grief, they gain some comfort.

Which lines from the poem best convey this thought?

"Let no man be so proud / And confident, / To think he is allowed / A little tent"

"Your every grief / Like a blade / Shining and unsheathed / Must strike me down."

"Your grief and mine/ Must intertwine/ Like sea and river"

"The ills I sorrow at / Not me alone / Like an arrow, / Pierce to the marrow"
5.
Consider the vocabulary words from the poem "Any Human to Another."

Which sentence correctly uses the word diverse?

Poppy poured a diverse amount of juice in both glasses.

Carmen tried to diverse herself in the book she was reading, but she had trouble concentrating.

New York City has the most diverse population than any other city in America.

We planned on playing outside this afternoon until a diverse storm struck.

1. Part A: A theme or central idea of Arna Bontemps' poem "A Black Talks of Reaping" is C. Despite intense labor, prejudice allows others to reap the benefits.

What is prejudice?

Prejudice refers to a preconceived classification of a group of people because of their background.

For example, because white people preconceived that the blacks are inferior, they use them as labor tools and make them work under insufferable conditions, and no just reward could be accorded for their intense labor.

Part B: The detail from the poem that best develops the theme identified in Part A is B. “but for my reaping only what the hand / can hold at once is all that I can show.”

2. The line "my children glean in fields they have not sown, and feed on bitter fruit" from "A Black Man Talks of Reaping" suggests A. Despite working hard in the fields, black farmers faced injustice while trying to feed their families.

3. The lines from “The Tropics in New York” affect the poem in that C. They demonstrate the speaker’s surprise.

The speaker is surprised that things have changed. Old memories are fading based on the speaker's new location.

4. The lines from “Any Human to Another,” by Cullen that best convey the thought that people share each other's grief and comfort are C. "Your grief and mine/ Must intertwine/ Like sea and river."

5. The sentence that correctly uses the word "diverse" from the poem "Any Human to Another" by Cullen is C. New York City has the most diverse population of any other city in America.

Thus, the poetry of the Harlem Renaissance shows that African Americans are also educated and can create fascinating poems.

Learn more about the Poetry of the Harlem Renaissance at https://brainly.com/question/7382228