Claude McKay and Langston Hughes are African American writers from the same time period in America’s literary history. Their writing details similar themes concerning the experiences of African-Americans during the 20th century. In class we analyzed poetry written by both authors. “America” by Claude McKay is similar to that of Langston Hughes’s poem “I‚ Too.” Both authors construct their poems from the perspective of an African American man who has little freedom. Despite the similar theme‚ the
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The poem “ If We Must Die” by Claude McKay is a response to Red Summer of 1919. The Red Summer is a series of race riots that took place in over thirty cities in the United States. In the poem the speaker is insisting that he and his comrades are being attacked and they know that they are not going to make it out alive. Since the speaker and his allies know that their demise is definite‚ they want to die fighting with honor and like men. Mckay uses a variety of literary forms when writing this poem
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The poem is primarily about the racism Africans face in the world. Africans should not be treated as though they are inferior; they deserve respect and honor. No matter what others say‚ Africans are ready to fight for their rights. In this poem‚ ‘If We Must Die’‚ his use of imagery and word choice contributes to the overall theme of justice for minorities.At first glance‚ this poem may seem as though it will preach about seizing the day and achieving what you want in life. However‚ once the poem is
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I used the poem titled‚ America by Claude McKay as my inspiration to write my own poem called Institution based off my experience in school. I used the literary elements and techniques of the poem to use as influence for mine. For example‚ I used the rhyme scheme‚ syllable count‚ and line count that had been used in McKay’s poem‚ in mine. My poem is exactly 14 lines long‚ ten syllables per line and has a rhyme scheme of A‚ B‚ A‚ B‚ like the McKay’s poem. Using similar techniques helped me to convey
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literary works. As the famous poet and author Claude McKay says “If a man is not faithful to his own individuality‚ he cannot be loyal to anything.” This is what makes Claude McKay such an impactful author during his time. Claude McKay’s acquaintance with the mix of two world’s‚ Jamaica and America‚ have an impact of his works such as “If We Must Die”‚ “America”‚ and “The Harlem Dancer” by
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Through the use of key phrases and metaphor‚ in the poem ¨If We Must Die” by Claude McKay‚ the author shows that African American people wanted to show pride for at least trying to express themselves to be equal because if they must die‚ their lives should show the whites that they didn´t die meaninglessly‚ they wanted the whites to show some respect for other African American in the future for the honor. In the poem ¨ If We Must Die” by Claude McKay‚ the author uses key phrases to show that African
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The captivating true words of writers Claude McKay‚ James Weldon‚ and Jean Toomer resemble the atrocious events of the past couple months of the multiple homicidal murders and brutality by law enforcement against African Americans. Nothing is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and stupidity. The year of 1619 was the beginning of slavery in our country by the Europeans and did not end until 1865 ‚ and it wasn’t until almost fifty years later in 1913 that a white man was finally persecuted and
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written by Claude McKay in 1920. McKay was born in Jamaica in 1890 and immigrated to the United States in 1912. The twenty-two years that he lived in Jamaica gave him inspiration for this poem. The poem includes masterful imagery and other literary devices. The poem starts with McKays somewhat cheerful description of luscious tropical fruits: Bananas ripe and green‚ and ginger-root‚ / Cocoa in pods and alligator pears‚ (lines 1-2). At this point‚ the reader is not sure what path this poem will take
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moved to the U.S. where he spent most of his years writing. Claude quickly learned that racism was a social norm and segregation was a none to be a part of life. The poem “If we must die” on page 1005 vol.1. “If we must die‚ let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot‚”. Was understood to be written towards the white man‚ to show the fact is‚ they are not fighting for survival; they already know they will die. This poem is a great example‚ showing how racism was a huge factor on
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Must Die By: Claude McKay If We Must Die‚ by Claude McKay is a sonnet written during the Harlem Renaissance period; a period where there was a flowering of African-American literature and art‚ (1919- mid 1930s). Though the Harlem Renaissance period was a time of thriving people and culture in the African-American community‚ prejudice was still very much active; something African-Americans knew first hand. There was still much discrimination put against them; something that this poem happens to exhibit
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