McKay's America Essay

Throughout the poem, the author chooses simple diction. This makes the tone straightforward and blunt, like a black America who simply expresses himself instead of sermonizing about discrimination. Thereby, readers can accept the poem’s argument more easily. Furthermore, the author writes the poem mostly in long sentences to emphasize on short yet important sentences such as “That’s America.”, “Be we are. That’s true!”

The poem America by Claude McKay is on its surface a poem combining what America should be and what this country stands for, with what it actually is, and the attitude it projects amongst the people. Mckay uses the form of poetry to express how he, as a Jamaican immigrant, feels about America. He characterizes the bittersweet relationship between striving for the American dream, and being denied that dream due to racism. While the America we are meant to see is a beautiful land of opportunity, McKay see’s as an ugly, flawed, system that crushes the hopes and dreams of the African-American people.

Many people across the globe argue that nationalism within Canada is simply not feasible. It is said that we as a people, differ so greatly with our diverse cultures, religions, and backgrounds that we cannot come together and exist together as a strong, united nation. In his book, Lament for a Nation, George Grant tells the reader that “…as Canadians we attempted a ridiculous task in trying to build a conservative nation in the age of progress, on a continent we share with the most dynamic nation on earth. The current history is against us.” (1965) Originally directed towards the Bomarc Missile Crisis, the book argues that whatever nationalism Canada had was destroyed by globalization as well as the powerful American

In the poem ,“America”, Claude McKay uses figurative language and diction to create a dark tone, a powerful empowering tone, and an optimistic tone. The theme of double consciousness of African-Americans is supported in the poem and the poem itself also connects to the purpose of the Harlem Renaissance which was to fight back racial hate and stereotypes with black empowerment.

Diction plays a large role in in conveying deep meaning within the two poems. Both writers use figurative and emotional vocabulary throughout each line. In “I Too, Sing America”, Hughes begins the first line using a figurative metaphor, “I too am the darker brother / They send me to eat in the kitchen” (Hughes 1-2). When Hughes refers to the narrator as the darker brother, the metaphor is actually referring the the African American community, not just a singular person. The second metaphor in line 2 attributes to the social divide and mistreatment between whites and blacks. This method of writing is mirrored in McKay’s “America”, “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness / And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth” (McKay 1-2 ). The diction McKay chooses to use, urges readers to empathize a feeling of sorrow and animosity towards America. He does this by using words such “bitterness” and “sinks into my throat”.

The poems "Do not go gentle into that good night" and "Death Be Not Proud" both deal with the subject of death. These poems seem to have contradictory messages about death, yet at the same time have similar attitudes toward it. "Death Be Not Proud" talks about how death really has no power over people, while "Do not go gentle into that good night" says that it is part of human nature to fight against death.

For J. Hector St. John De Crèvecoeur and Phillis Wheatley the seduction of freedom was strong enough to have a hold over them throughout their lives. They express obtaining or wanting independence through writing about certain myths of American culture and identity. This idea of unfiltered, unbiased liberty saturates images of America. Even before it officially became a gaggle of nations, North America was known as a wide-open space full of possibilities. Crèvecoeur and Wheatley want the opportunity of self-determination, but it comes easier for one and with more complications for the other. Wheatley has the added disadvantage of her race and gender, while Crèvecoeur comes to these lands with all possibilities open and within reach. These outstanding factors affect the way these two write about American identity. Crèvecoeur’s Letters of An American Farmer: What is an American and various poems by Wheatley comment on the experience of being an American and share a critique on oppression, but there is a dichotomy in their specific views of the American Dream and the Self-Made Man due to their different positions in society.

“Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once compared liking next to the United States to sleeping with an elephant. He said, ‘You cannot help but be aware of its every movement.’”

Before analyzing the poem’s content, it is imperative that the reader understands the historical context that encompasses a literary work such as “America”. As a Jamaican native, McKay traveled to America with the familiar hope that a new country could be

In “America”, Claude McKay expresses the struggles that African American people have faced at the hands of the country that they call their home, but also the strength they find in it as well. The poem explores the dual persona that African Americans experienced during the first half of the 1900s, and the conflict that arose because of it. Claude McKay 's political beliefs and how he experienced life in America are expressed throughout the poem. The speaker of the poem addresses both the love and bitterness that he feels for his country as an example of the struggle of being both black and American during this time. America constantly tested and fought African Americans during this time. However, this just made them stronger, and the Harlem Renaissance and the poems and stories produced during it are an example of their strength taking form.

The world as humans know it is seldom at peace, and numerous parties worldwide attempt to settle these conflicts in attempts to achieve global unity. In the past, there have been multiple outbreaks of war, some examples being the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Afghanistan War. Canada plays a crucial role in aiding war-struck nations, in efforts to mediate conflicts and terminate war, ultimately achieving peace and concord.

In the year 1619, the new land of America had been settled and populated. There was a problem though; there was much work to do and not enough people to fill those positions. According to the professor of history at South Carolina State University, Doctor Stanley Harrold, “The Atlantic slave trade began in Africa in the mid-1400s and lasted into the 19th century. Initially, Portuguese traders purchased small numbers of slaves from kingdoms on the western coast of Africa and transported them for sale in Portugal and Spain. The Atlantic slave trade did not become a huge enterprise until after European nations began colonizing the Americas during the 1500s. During the 1600s the Dutch pushed the Portuguese out of the trade and then contested the British and French for control of it. By 1713 Britain had emerged as the dominant slave-trading nation. In all, the trade brought more than 10 million Africans to America…” (Harrold). The slave trade started with only 20 slaves being brought to Virginia but the trade started to boom when the realization that slavers were cheaper than indentured servants and more abundant.

Have you ever felt excluded from society? Many people throughout history have, and the speaker in Claude McKay’s poem “America” is no different. The speaker is a man who is educated but is living in America during a period of violence and conflict. He has a strong response to being excluded that has advantages and disadvantages.

When people think of Canada and then compare it to the United States of America, they always tend to think it is similar. At least I did until I started this project. I always thought that Canada was a clone or mirror of America, but I was wrong. About 99.75% of the Canadian people consider ice as something that they use in a drink or something that is always on the road that needs salt. For the rest of the Canadians, ice is a major barrier of life.

This is a writing that tries to analyse the theme of death, which is portrayed among these poems.