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An Analysis Of If We Must Die By Claude Mckay

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War over the years is a brutal, long battle between two opposing sides. Whose sole purpose is for one side to come out the victor and claim that your side are superior or to stop the mentality of superiority and to make peace. World War one was a brutal war in which Britain,
France, and Russia were on the losing side and were almost on the way of giving up. Until, the
United States bravely stepped in during 1917 to give a helping hand to allies while they were down for the count and went on to win World War one (Murrin et al. 620). With that bit of encouragement, whether as big of a power as the United States or as small as just some helpful words are enough to overcome an adversary. In the poem, “If We Must Die”, Claude McKay
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Hopefulness is conveyed throughout the poem through the author’s choice of words and how he chooses to use them.

Hyperboles throughout the poem are used as tools of encouragement to bring out the bravery out of the soldiers in their dire situation. McKay showcases that, “While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, / Making their mock at our accursèd lot. / If we must die, O let us nobly die,”
(3-5). The commander is telling his fellow soldiers how the enemy is ravaging and is mocking them at every chance they get and how they should die nobly and not give in to the enemy. This quote is using hyperbole by describing the enemy as “mad and hungry dogs / Making their Mock at our accur” to show how menacing the enemy soldiers are and their intentions. McKay uses the hyperbole to describe the severity and danger of the enemy but also gives advice to the soldiers that although they be strong they should go out like noble men with honor and not like cowards.
Before going to battle the commander exclaims, “Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, / Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!” (13-14). The commander is giving his last words of encouragement to his fellow comrades. The hyperbole to describe the enemy as the
“murderous, cowardly pack” is a way to encourage the fellow soldiers to give it their all before heading into battle. The commander calling the
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