Claude McKay's If We Must Die Essay

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 vary from “dialect verse…

The King Must Die: Is Theseus to Perfect to be a Human Being? To be considered a human being one must be subject to or indicative of the weakness, imperfections, and fragility associated with human beings. This definition separates us from any lower being, or for this book's concern separates us from any higher being. Theseus had endured a life that during some times showed to be like that of any human. Yet, there were numerous occasions that proved Theseus to be not of human flesh and blood…

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…

1. ‘For the nation to live, the tribe must die.’ Assess the validity of Samora Machel’s assertion with reference to examples in Africa and/or Asia. It has been estimated that there may be some 600 to 1,000 different tribal groups or more in Africa. There are some whose territory may be 200 or 300 miles square. Inside each large territory may live more than a million people. The smaller tribes may have only two or three thousand people and some of the smallest have only a few hundred. Most tribes…

Usage of the Outsider Theme in Claude McKay's Poetry Claude McKay was an important figure during the 1920's in the Harlem Rennaisance. Primarily a poet, McKay used the point of view of the outsider as a prevalent theme in his works. This is best observed in such poems as "Outcast," "America," and "The White House." In these poems, McKay portrays the African-American as the outsiderof western society and its politics and laws and at times, the very land that he is native to. McKays's…

Claude McKay real name is Festus Claudius McKay was an important person in the Harlem Renaissance, a prominent literary movement of the 1920s. His poems are traditional in technique and on the sentimental side in subject and tone.1 McKay was born in Sunny Ville, Jamaica, in 1889. McKay was the son of a peasant farmer. He took pride and knew a lot about his African heritage. He was interested in English poetry dealing with literary. McKay’s brother, Uriah Theophilus and an Englishmen Walter…

where the straight way was lost.”(Dante.I.1-3) So to become enlightened he must take a walk through hell guided by Virgil, a poet who lived before Christ. The punishments he will see are cruel and unusual; some literally become the embodiment of their sins while others become victims in the afterlife of the crimes they committed while living. This book and ode to the most thought question possible, what happens after we die? The first circle of hell is limbo, an inefficient lesser version of heaven…

Both Langston Hughes and Claude McKay are iconic poets who helped motivate the civil rights movement. Hughes and McKay spoke about the hidden nightmare behind racism and everything it stood up for. Claude McKay in the poem “If We Must Die” and Langston Hughes in the poem “I Too, Sing America” both express a similar theme and meaning through their use of symbolism, tone ,and imagery. First, both “I, Too, Sing America” and “If We Must Die” use tone to express their concerns about their place in society…

withdrawal or withholding of a medical treatment, even if doing so will result in the person’s death” (Assisted Suicide). So why is there not, and should there not be a right in some states and countries for those who are near death and know they will die to want to end their life. Even during the Ancient Roman times, the idea of Assisted Suicide was accepted “If caused from pain or sickness, or by weariness of life” (Assisted Suicide). With today’s technology, it has become easier to keep a person…

If We Must Die by Claude McKay Clearly provocative and even chilling, “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay stirs deep and powerful emotions in any who reads it. A poem inspired by violent race riots, it serves as a motivating anthem representative of an entire culture. Graphic and full of vengeance this poem is demanding action, not telling a story. McKay utilizes imagery to its fullest extent creating an end result which any man or woman, black or white, who has ever felt the hard and hateful…