Claude McKay's If We Must Die Essay

Literature that has created empathy within me would consist of Claude McKay’s poem If We Must Die, One example of literature that has created empathy within me would be Claude McKay’s poem If We Must Die. This work of art cultivated empathy within me for several reasons. It helps me understand what it felt like for African-Americans, in the past, to be treated like wild animals and hunted down. In McKay’s poem he says, “If we must die, let it not be like hogs, / Hunted and penned in an inglorious

The life and Writings of Claude McKay Introduction      Every literary period can be defined by a group of writers. For the Harlem Renaissance, which was an extraordinary eruption of creativity among Black Americans in all fields of art, Claude McKay was the leader. Claude McKay was a major asset to the Harlem Renaissance with his contributions of such great pieces of writings such as “If We Must Die” and “The Lynching.” McKay wrote in many different styles. His work which

Claude McKay is one of the important writers that were brought into the spotlight as a result of the Harlem Renaissance. Some other very important and undisputed personalities from the Harlem Renaissance include the likes of Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer and Zora Neale Hurston. Claude McKay was often regarded as an outcast for his strong opinions against what he thought were political and social injustices. McKay brought to the Renaissance Movement the need and demand for justice for

of Harlem. Claude McKay’s writings from the Harlem Renaissance demonstrates life during that time period by showing the Renaissance as “defined, and defied the boundaries of The Harlem Renaissance.” On September 15, 1889, Festus Claudius McKay was born in Sunny Ville Jamaica. His father was Thomas Francis McKay, and his mother was Hannah Ann Elizabeth Edwards. His parents embraced their Malagasy and Ashanti heritage and taught Claude at a young age to embrace his African pride. Claude McKay was the

In order to explore Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die,” it is essential to know who he is and why he wrote it. Claude McKay was a Jamaican writer and poet, who was also an influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance—a time where the art of African-Americans was finally able to shine and flourish. Though African-American artists, musicians, and writers were breaking barriers and getting the incredible opportunity to display their talents, they also were still facing the everyday struggles of being

Claude McKay’s 1919 sonnet, “If We Must Die”, came at a time when African-American lives were conditional, and seemingly dependent on the actions of the white community. McKay’s choice to write his poem in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, a form usually reserved for flowery love language, could be attributed to either establishing his worth as a writer to a community not so accepting of black writers and/or to use an easily understood format to convey the strong message of injustice within American

The poem “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay is not only a sonnet, but also a story that portrays so much more than what first meets the eye. The poem is discussing a group of people who are going off to battle. The narrator of the poem is preparing the group to die, but implying that they must die with honor and in a noble way. The group has been pressed into a corner and there is no way out without a fight and warns them that death is most likely in their future. This poem sheds light into the author

Claude McKay’s poem “If We Must Die” conveys so much strength behind each word of this captivating poem. McKay uses vivid imagery and description he compares the life of an African American being hunted to the lowest of all animals a “hog”. This poem can be harsh in describing African Americans who are far from being a hog. In reviewing this poem the perspective that I come to is about slavery, and how slaves were treated. Giving the impression to the reader that African American people should

between “Yet Do I Marvel” and “If We Must Die” During the Harlem Renaissance, many African Americans struggled through a shifting period in time from slavery to equality. Some African Americans expressed their feelings at that time through poetry such as “Yet Do I Marvel” written by Countee Cullen and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay. In “Yet Do I Marvel” Cullen writes about how the struggles he is facing relate to God and how he is being punished. McKay’s poem is slightly different; he emphasizes

derogatory name from the lips of an eight year old. In Langston Hughes’ “I, Too”, the speaker expresses their witful sentiments in being forced to eat in the kitchen, because they are seemed to be as a lesser human from their skin tone. In Claude McKay’s poem “If We Must Die”, the speaker rallies a heartfelt message to his supporters to continue fighting for their cause, so their death would not be in