Brought From Africa To America And Claude Mckay's

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The two poems being discussed in this essay will be Phillis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America” and Claude McKay’s “America.” “On Being Brought from Africa to America” is a poem by Phillis Wheatley, published in her 1773 book, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Morals. Phillish Wheatley, born in 1753 in West Africa, was a trailblazer for African American poetry during the 18th century. Despite the many obstacles and struggles she faced within her life, Wheatley was impressively intelligent and talented and was able to direct these attributes in her own work. Her purpose in writing “On Being Brought from Africa to America” was to convey the hypocritical prejudice and racial bias against black people that runs rampant within the …show more content…

The main themes of “America” include the inner turmoil of the speaker about conflict between the country of America and it’s own citizens in which they are oppressed. Through the exploration of religious themes, Claude McKay's "America" and Phillis Wheatley's "On Being Brought from Africa to America" present perspectives on the African American experience in America, with McKay expressing discontent and conflict and Wheatley finding redemption in America's religious landscape but still struggling with both her religious identity and her race. Both poems explore the relationship between identity, race, and the American experience. By analyzing these poems, we remember the affect racism has on our society and on individuals today. Claude McKay’s “America” begins with a striking and contradicting opening, representing the speakers feelings within the context of the African American experience. McKay paints a picture that describes both his resentment and reluctant love for America. This sets the stage to explore the contradicting and complex struggle for African American’s and their relationship with

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