Claude Mckay, a Dialectical Analysis Essay

During the time this poem was written, racism and prejudice towards African Americans was prevalent and habituated to whites. From the first stanza alone, the tone is already set as uncharitable and

Towards the end of the poem McKay unveils the “silver lining” so to speak. He begins talking about the future and how he hopes for a better America, as the old America slowly fades out. He touches on the values of America, referring to equality, justice, and true freedom, and very subtly refers to them as “Granite Wonders." The use of these words really impacts his belief in the future, as granite is something hard, strong, and immovable. Mckay certainly believes that America was built on a

Claude McKay’s poems reflect on American culture during a specific time in history, known as Harlem Renaissance. A time where racism was predominately a way of living for many, this was a beneficial time in history for African Americans. Bringing blacks together in a new movement that had not been present in America. Development in which blacks emphasized themselves by taking on their racial identity. It was a time period in which the black community helped each other to be able to express themselves as who they truly are, creating a true African American visual doing so

McKay emphasizes that his deep hatred for the “White City” is due to the oppression he receives from white-skinned people for being African American; however this hatred is hidden from the world as he is perceived as an isolated minority in this “White City”. The intensity of McKay’s hatred is displayed in the personification of the “dark Passion that fills [his] every mood”(6). The first letter in the diction “Passion” is capitalized, thus personifying it to be representation of the

In conclusion, the poem was used as a key to unlock some of the thoughts the negro had concerning Africa. The negro in this poem was a representative of all negroes during this time; their thoughts and the their feelings toward Africa. Cullen’s usage of the literary devices allow for an effective expression of the meaning of this poem. Poems are intensified language of experience, so the devices assured the connection of the reader to the poem and the experience. This applies to many issues in society today because as beautiful as our country is there are still dark clouds that cover the very essence of what the states once stood

Throughout the poem, the poet also establishes a theme, created by W.E.B Dubois, that African-Americans live a double consciousness of being black and being American at the same time. The poet celebrates the two sides of the African-American experience as hate and love, pleasure and pain. In the beginning of the poem, Claude McKay describes that America

Singing as a form of communication and as an expression of emotions was deeply rooted in African American culture. Slaves who were shipped across the Atlantic in the 1700’s used song to communicate during the several-month-long journeys. Slave songs were used to pass down history through generations and ensured the survival of African American culture. Black slaves worked and lived in horrendous conditions and were constantly oppressed by blacks. Slaves had no rights or freedoms and living their culture in the form of song in a foreign land oppressed by foreigners was key to the survival of their culture and legacy for future generations. Claude McKay lived during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920’s, which was decades after the civil war and after slavery was abolished in America. After the reconstruction, the Jim Crow laws were laws that enforced racial segregation and blacks second-class status. During the post reconstruction, thousands of blacks were lynched primarily in the South and were oppressed by whites. In Claude McKay’s “Outcast,” the difficulty of being black is unceasing oppression by whites as seen through their inability to connect with their past roots, their treatment by White’s as sub-human, and their belief that they have lost their humanity.

The depiction black struggles within Dunbar’s dialect poetry makes Dunbar’s poetry beneficial for the black race. For example, in “An Ante-bellum Sermon,” when Dunbar writes “But when Moses wif his powah Comes an' sets us chillun free, We will praise de gracious Mastah, Dat has gin us liberty; An' we'll shout ouah halleluyahs, On dat mighty reck'nin' day, When we'se reco'nised ez citiz', Huh uh! Chillun, let us pray!”, he is depicting a common feeling of African Americans. Although this poem takes place before the Civil War, and before Dunbar’s birth, both of Dunbar’s parents were ex-slaves, which gave him an understanding of slavery. With an understanding of slavery, Dunbar was able to depict the desire for slaves to be rid of the unjust system. Beyond that, the idea is still applicable to the time in which he lived. From one issue to another, people anticipate equality while in dire situations. Similarly, in “Song,” Dunbar depicts the harmful race relations from his time. Instead of the black experience being told from a sympathizer perspective, Dunbar has a better understanding of what it was like to be black in the 1890s. The competition and hate between flowers symbolizes the conflict between white and black people. Through this metaphor, especially at the end when they celebrate the death of all daisies when he writes “In de fiel’ de flags is wavin’ in a tantalizing’ way, Kin o’ ‘joicin’ case de daisies all is daid,” Dunbar depicts the hateful race relations of his time. Dunbar’s representation of black issues brings attention to them, which benefits African Americans.

Imagery within Dunbar’s work conveyed the harsh reality of African American life in America’s heritage. Dating back to when blacks forcefully came over to the United States for the purpose of manual labor, Dunbar explained the conditions in “Ode to Ethiopia.” Their duties entailed that “they tread the fields” (19) from sunrise to sunset until the worked reached an end. To pass away the time, they would sing “up to the skies in the beauty ring/and bolder grow each hour” (23-24). They would find themselves attempting to find some hope while plantation owners hollered at them if unproductive. “Very seldom has any author brought so vividly before us the black farm laborer of the plantation as he comes from the day’s toil” (Burch). Forced to brutal

All three of the poems discussed in this essay relate to the struggles suffered by African Americans in the late 18th century to the early 19th century in many different ways. They had to live under harsh

During the 1920’s a new movement began to arise. This movement known as the Harlem Renaissance expressed the new African American culture. The new African American culture was expressed through the writing of books, poetry, essays, the playing of music, and through sculptures and paintings. Three poems and their poets express the new African American culture with ease. (Jordan 848-891) The poems also express the position of themselves and other African Americans during this time. “You and Your Whole Race”, “Yet Do I Marvel”, and “The Lynching” are the three poems whose themes are the same. The poets of these poems are, as in order, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Claude Mckay.

In Langston Hughes' poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", he examines some of the roles that blacks have played throughout history. Ultimately, the poem asserts that in every one of these aspects the black people have been exploited and made to suffer, mostly at the hands of white people. The poem is written entirely in first person, so there is a very personal tone, even though the speaker symbolizes the entire black race. The examples of each role cited in the poem are very specific, but they allude to greater indignities, relying on the readers' general knowledge of world history. To convey the injustice that has taken place, Hughes utilizes the symbolism of the

Race plays a big part in this poem. He speaks on Harlem and its culture and this environment but also about mutual interest with people

Claude McKay was a Jamaican poet who brought hopefulness to the oppressed during the Harlem Renaissance in his poem, “If We Must Die”. McKay experienced the hardships that colored people were going through because of their race and nationality. He believed that the people should fight for what they believe in, even if it seems like a hopeless cause. McKay uses the concept of dying with dignity to persuade his fellow African-Americans that are being oppressed to fight for what they believe in.

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.