Claude Mckay Relate To The American Dream

The American Dream is what everybody dreams when they come to the United States. The dream of working hard and their determination help them to become successful. In the poems "America" by Claude McKay, " Let America be America Again" by Langston Hughes, "A Message to America" by Alan Seeger, " I Hear America Singing" and "Long, Too Long America" by Walt Whitman can relate to the American Dream. In these poems, the speaker can show a connect to the American Dream by showing how they felt either being proud or upset with what is happening during that time.

In the first poem "Let America be America" by Langston Hughes the speaker is talking about how America is not what it seems from what everyone thought it was. In the lines it states,

" Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed-/Let it be the great strong land of love./Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme/ That any man be crushed by one above...O, let my land be a land where Liberty/ is crowned.../But the opportunity is real and life is free,/Equality is in the air we breathe" This quote shows that this is what people excepted and came to the America so they could succeed in a nation, where it is possible and where they are free, equal and that they are living in a strong and loved nation. However later on it the text it states," ," I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,/I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars./I am the red man driven from the land,/I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--/And finding only the same old stupid plan/Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak." This then shows that the narrator is upset by what the nation is and how it was the same conditions as other countries. America was suppose to be the land of freedom yet poor white are separated, the color suffered from slavery, and Native Americans being kicked out. Everyone had held onto hope but, end up with the same thing where one is superior and is stopping the lower from succeeding when they are working hard.
In Claude McKay's "America", the speaker thinks that the bitterness is what is wrong with the nation however, the speaker thinks that is what made them stronger. In the poem, it states, "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!" This quote shows how the speaker feels the hatred and bitterness is what makes them stronger as a person. Which can connect to the American Dream because, even though there is many hate and bitterness it doesn't affect the narrator's American Dream. The only wrong the nation is the waste of time on ignorance, which can hold a country back. This connect to the American Dream, because the speaker is working hard to go against the hatred to be able to succeed in whatever they want to do. The speaker stands up against the hatred without fear which shows how the America Dream connects to the poem.
In the third poem, "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman, the speaker feels there is unity between all the workers creating a great nation. In the poem, it states," The carpenter singing his, as he measure his plank or beam,/The mason singing his, as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work" This quote shows how the nation is unite, when the speaker says singing he is saying the sound of the labors working and it creates a unity where everyone is working to help the nation grow. This can connect to the American Dream because, many people are working hard and as a nation with unity, it helps people succeed and live in success and prosperity.