If I Must Die Figurative Language

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Recommended: Racism in literature

Imagine living a life where you are savagely attacked or murdered solely for the color of your skin. Extreme violence and race riots in the United States arose in 1919 where white people targeted African-Americans. The sonnet, “If I Must Die,” by Claude McKay, uses figurative language to view the perspective of oppressed African-Americans who must resist cruel and unfair brutality during a time where opposition is met with violence or even death. The poem begins with the speaker pleading not to die inhumanely like an animal, a hog, and being hunted down; this leads into the next line, “While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs” (Line 3). The comparison between vicious and cruel white punishers and mad dogs highlights an important viewpoint of the speaker: the animalistic aggressors have a …show more content…

Any attempt to change that or threaten it is met with increased brutality. As the poem continues, the author speaks of dying but only accepting death if it is honorable and not in vain. The speaker proceeds with saying, “then even the monsters we defy / Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” (Lines 7-8). First, the oppressors are compared to dogs and now to monsters; this shows their lack of humanity and compassion to the point where those who they hurt can no longer see them as human beings. Their “monster” status is significant because if others can’t see them as people, there’s a chance they can’t identify the difference between being a person and being a beast. Furthermore, the quote says that if the speaker must die, he will die in such an honorable way that even those who saw him as nothing will have no choice but to respect his death. Similarly, the speaker refuses to die without fighting for his honor and dignity; his perseverance and drive lead him to continue to fight against all odds for even the slightest amount of respect to prove himself as more than just a black

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