Theme for English B

The speaker in the poem "Theme for English B" is ___________.

• Langston Hughes

• the instructor of a college course

• an African American college student

• a musician during the Harlem Renaissance

TRUE or FALSE: Langston Hughes is the author of the poem, but he is NOT the speaker in this poem.

• TRUE

• FALSE

One of the major themes of the poem “Theme for English B” is __________________.

• the search for truth

• identity and belonging

• the difficulty of college courses

• the fight against segregation

The poem begins with a college instructor’s assignment for students to _____________.

• go home and write a page about themselves

• enroll in another English course

• challenge themselves with a 10-page reflection

• write about the ways the students and instructor are different

When he considers the assignment, the speaker asks himself, ___________ to convey who he is on just one page.

• "I wonder what the instructor's grading policy is?"

• "Does this have to be MLA format?"

• "I wonder if it’s that simple?“

• "Should I tell the truth?"

Some of the things that make the speaker who he is are _______.

• what he sees, feels and hears

• what he learned from his parents

• his friends in college

• the employees and manager at his job

The poem “Theme for English B” is mainly told in tense, from a point of view.

• past; first person

• present; first person

• present; third person

• future; first person

Which of the following selections best identifies an important theme of the poem?

• The narrator is a black college student writing a homework assignment.

• The narrator likes what people of other races like.

• The relationship between blacks and whites is complicated and often difficult.

• The narrator is the only ‘colored’ student in the class.

The speaker then directs his thoughts to his city in line 18, where he says: __________.

• "Winston-Salem, you are my hometown."

• "I'm in a New York state of mind."

• "Spread love, it's the Brooklyn way."

• “Harlem, I hear you.”

In line 21, some of the things the speaker enjoys are: he likes to _________.

• eat, sleep, drink, and be in love

• walk the city and watch the people

• write and read poetry

• play in a band and spend time with his friends