African American Spirituals

African American literature is a body of writing by Americans of African descent that explores themes of interest to Black people in the United States. It includes written forms such as fiction, poetry, drama, essays, and letters, as well as oral forms such as spirituals, sermons, gospel music, blues, and rap. The literature is closely tied to African American culture, history, needs, aspirations, and ways of life.

• True

• False

What major influence shaped Sterling A. Brown’s poetry?

• Industrial progress

• African American folk culture and spirituals

• Modernist European literature

• Urban themes of Harlem

Which of the following does Alvin Ailey's masterwork, "Revelations" NOT do?

• Draws on childhood recollections

• Tells the story of African American faith

• Uses African American spirituals as inspiration

• Highlights ballet from the Italian Renaissance

Which statements can be supported by the paragraph we analyzed last class (p. 2 of Lessons 31-32)? Check all that apply.

• The practice of being possessed by spirits empowered African Americans, giving them the courage to resist.

• Traditional forms of African spirituality and religion formed the basis of Africans’ resistance against enslavement.

• African spirituality was anti-Christian.

• African American religion began as a form of resistance against enslavement.

• Spirituals were primarily Islamic.

What was the secular message in Swing Low, Sweet Chariot?

• Be ready to escape, because conductors are coming to take you to freedom.

• Go north and follow the big dipper.

The use of biblical stories in Negro spirituals primarily served to:

• Provide moral lessons

• Offer hope and inspiration for freedom (salvation)

• Record historical events accurately

What were the religious songs sung by African Americans during slavery?

• Proverbs

• Hymns or Spirituals

• Poems

• Folk Tales

What is the primary theme of African American spirituals?

• Hope and liberation

• Industrial progress

• Romantic love

• Economic prosperity

Which literary device is commonly used in African American spirituals?

• Metaphor

• Hyperbole

• Onomatopoeia

• Oxymoron

What role did African American spirituals play during the slavery era?

• Entertainment

• Religious expression and coded messages for escape

• Economic transactions

• Political campaigns