The poem America by Claude McKay is on its surface a poem combining what America should be and what this country stands for, with what it actually is, and the attitude it projects amongst the people. Mckay uses the form of poetry to express how he, as a Jamaican immigrant, feels about America. He characterizes the bittersweet relationship between striving for the American dream, and being denied that dream due to racism. While the America we are meant to see is a beautiful land of opportunity, McKay see’s as an ugly, flawed, system that crushes the hopes and dreams of the African-American people. This poem is written from the perspective of an African-American from a foreign country, who has come to America for the promise of equality, only to find out that at this time equality for blacks does not exist. It is written for fellow black men, in an effort to make them understand that the American dream is not something to abandon hope in, but something to fight for. The struggle of putting up with the racist mistreatment is evident even in the first four lines: “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth, Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.” (McKay) These lines express quite graphically that the relationship between young black immigrants and America, is what would be referred to as a “love/hate” relationship. Though dealing with the situation is difficult, the poem goes on to express that going through this ordeal has only strengthened the resolve of the African American community. Lines 4-9 of this poem speak to toughness and resolve of the African American community in the fight to gain equality. McKay even goes as far ... ... middle of paper ... ...for equal rights. In some poems McKay even called for violent acts to change the laws, however, as an educated man, reason prevailed. As result he adopted religion, and his poetry, like himself became conflicted. Out of this confliction came some of the most powerful African American poetry in history. Claude McKay poured his soul onto to paper, and as a result, it seeps in to all who read it. Works Cited Kelly, Joseph. The Seagull Reader Poems Second Edition. New York: W.W Norton and Company, 2001. McKay, Claude. The Poetry Foundation. 1921. 2 October 2011 . Miller, Nelson. Poets Corner-Bookshelf. 1999. 2 October 2011 . poets.org. Poets from the Academy of American Poets. 1997. 2 October 2011 .
...ce taking place within a limited audience, allowing it to grow and develop to eventually define the culture of the New Negro. The transcendent quality of the blues, featured in the poem by Langston Hughes, may be placed in opposition to McKay as there is undeniable value in shared experience. While the nature of blues music within the poem is undeniably black and meant to connect black people, the poem presents music as something that is important for expression and formulation of identity as a dynamic community. The two poems, in their depiction of the performances, propose different solutions to the black condition of isolation. While McKay suggests that the strength to counter oppression and alienation is present in the hidden capacity of the individual, Hughes presents a man who is kept alive through struggle and persistence fueled through a communal tradition.
Because of that, his writing seems to manifest a greater meaning. He is part of the African-American race that is expressed in his writing. He writes about how he is currently oppressed, but this does not diminish his hope and will to become the equal man. Because he speaks from the point of view of an oppressed African-American, the poem’s struggles and future changes seem to be of greater importance than they ordinarily would. The point of view of being the oppressed African American is clearly evident in Langston Hughes’s writing.
1)”America” is written in a Public voice. McKay writes this poem as though it is meant to be heard by all. However, there are some parts in “America” where it takes a more personal approach. For example, when McKay states “Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.” and also when he mentions how he gazes into the days ahead. I find in those sections of the poem McKay takes a more personal approach because of the specifics mentioned solely about her. The public approaches McKay makes in “America” are the parts where she is vaguer and the poem can relate to anyone. Specifically, the ending that focuses on the touch of time and priceless treasures can be construed by anyone to mean what they want.
...all. However, society’s dividing beliefs soon began to influence all that was to become of them. Their struggles became their motivations in life, especially as they took on a new world and found what was beyond plantations and hard work. Why was slavery and racism so powerful? They were no longer just units of language, they had obtained meaning. “White America” had become aroused and attached its emotional and physical sensations to the controlling of African-Americans. They had merely separated their feelings from life. And even so, they used fear as a shield to protect their sentiments. However accordingly, through African-Americans past, present, and growing future, a wound can never be fully healed, for you will always carry it for the rest of your life. But, through mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional practices it is easier to succumb to the pain.
He is very disapproving and wants to persuade the African Americans to make a move. Claude McKay was a prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance, so this would make it easier for him to persuade the African Americans. McKay believed that the treatment the African Americans were undergoing was utterly humiliating, and it was up to him to start a revolution. He also believed that African Americans deserved honor and respect, and this meant they should do anything to achieve their honor. Claude says, “The monsters he and his readers resist will be obliged to honor them, even though they are dead,” which suggests that McKay knew his poems would one day make a difference in the world even if it was after he died (Poetry for Students). Throughout the entire poem, McKay is encouraging his readers to make a difference and begin fighting back against the white Americans. The poem serves as a battle cry for the African Americans, so they could understand the harsh treatment they were putting up with and make a difference (Griffin). Claude McKay insisted, “Men should not be like penned-up animals that submit to their fate” (Poetry for Students). This shows that McKay thought a revolution was vital to saving the African American race. He did not believe the African Americans should put up with this unfair treatment and submit to this awful faith.
Overall, this poem is used to compare an African American to a cypress tree in a positive manner, which is evergreen and always pointing upwards. The time frame in which Angelina Weld Grimke wrote this in was a difficult time to live in. Only recently had African Americans received their rights, and even then, other races, more prominently, caucasians were hateful towards them. Although not lengthy, this poem manages to successfully capture the enduring strength that African Americans held during this difficult time period by simply comparing them to a strong cypress
Claude McKay’s poem “White Houses” expresses the anger and frustration blacks felt about the North.
...ites a short 33-line poem that simply shows the barriers between races in the time period when racism was still openly practiced through segregation and discrimination. The poem captures the African American tenant’s frustrations towards the landlord as well as the racism shown by the landlord. The poem is a great illustration of the time period, and it shows how relevant discrimination was in everyday life in the nineteen-forties. It is important for the author to use the selected literary devices to help better illustrate his point. Each literary device in the poem helps exemplify the author’s intent: to increase awareness of the racism in the society in the time period.
...rayer. (The frequent use of religious imagery in the poem may be a tacit acknowledgement of the important and influential role African-American preachers and ministers have played in the struggle against discrimination.) The prayer is, first, a call to black people to continue to better themselves through hard work ("Hail! great, gritty, grimy hands") and, second, a plea for pity from the Christian God over the "toiling lands," though whether this means the South, the North, or America as a whole is not indicated—nor does it matter much. For the most important message comes through, Du Bois's passionate plea that, united in a common history, African Americans must be united in a common pride in who they are and in a common determination to take control of their own destiny and change the future. Thus, the poem ends with its three most important words: "I am black."
The four poems by Langston Hughes, “Negro,” “Harlem,” “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” and “Theme for English B” are all powerful poems and moving poems! Taken all together they speak to the very founding of relations of whites and blacks all the way down through history. The speaker in the poem the, “Negro” and also, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” tells the tale of freedom and enslavement that his people have endured, and it heralds their wisdom and strength. The poems “Harlem” and “Theme for English B” speaks to the continuous unfair treatment that the blacks have received at the hands of white people throughout the years.
During the Harlem Renaissance, African American poets expressed their need for equality and their struggle in America so far. Poets attempted to act like a match that would start the fire and hunger for equality. Poets like Claude McKay would help other African Americans realize how American mistreated them. African Americans thought that America would help bring them freedom, but McKay woke them from the dream that many had. McKay did not just tear people from the precious dreams they had he also tried to call people to action to gain equality. Claude McKay is known for expressing the African American struggle in America and acts as a voice of action.
While reading this poem line-by-line and looking deeper into the history of Mckay’s lifetime i discovered that this poem is about an African-American man entering the city and leaving behind segregation. The speaker in this poem is an African-American male who has went through hardships throughout his life one major hardship being segregation This poem was written during the Harlem Renaissance which was a time period that many African-Americans moved from the south to new york city and other places up north this movement happened right after world war one. The Harlem Renaissance gave African-American writers the chance to publish some of their writings. Mckay was born on September 15, 1890 who got an early start on his writing by blending his african pride with his love for british poetry, he studied poetry
McKay’s long poem contains many progressions. There is no space between lines; it is a continuous poem as it requires the readers remain focus from the beginning to the end. This poem could be effectively presented as a speech to soldiers who are about to fight with their enemies. Therefore, the poem must be long so that it can gradually stir up the morale of the soldiers. Each line is almost the same length, indicating the formal attitude of the speaker who is possibly the leader. Also, as a motivational speech, it has to be consistent so that it can capture the soldiers’ attention without distraction. However, in contrast, the length of “Harlem” is short, and the poem is inconsistent: it consists of eleven lines broken into four stanzas. The first and last stanzas contain one line, while the other two contain seven and two lines respectively. Some lines are short, others are longer. Therefore, readers might become uncomfortable or frustrated while reading it; but this seem to be the poet’s purpose, Hughes utilizes the length of his poem to convey to readers, especially the whites, the blacks’ feelings of dreams being deferred because of racism and injustice in society. Additionally, because the poem is short, the readers might understand Hughes’ point quickly. It also implies that the speaker has
Although many African Americans can easily lose their identity due to the oppression they face, the tone in Claude McKay’s and Langston Hughes’ poems show that fighting back for equality will allow them to maintain their identity. In McKay’s poem “If We Must Die,” he talks about the issue of lynching. African Americans were being lynched for no reason without getting a say in what happened. In response he says, “Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, / Pressed to the wall dying, but fighting back!” (McKay). Although the white Americans were trying to put them down, they are refusing to leave without a fight. McKay uses the word “we” to emphasize that this is a problem for many African Americans. He is speaking to the
The poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” symbolically connects the fate of the speaker of the poem and his African American community to the indestructible and powerful force on Earth- the river. The river embodies both power and dominance but also a sense of comfort. The poem is a prime example of the message of hope and perseverance to anyone who has suffered or is currently suffering oppression and inequality in their lives and in society. The speaker in the poem pledges to the reader that with hard-work, determination, and willpower to succeed, he will get where he is going regardless of the obstacles and challenges he may face on his path of reaching his goals in life.