Claude McKays If We Must Die Essay -- essays research papers fc

Claude McKays If We Must DieOne of the most influential writers of the Harlem rebirth was Jamaican born Claude McKay, who was a governmental activist, a novelist, an essayist and a poet. Claude McKay was aware of how to keep his name consistently in mainstream culture by writing for that audience. Although in McKays arsenal he possessed stringy verse forms. The book that included such revolutionary poetry is Harlem Shadows. His 1922 book of poetrys, Harlem Shadows, Barros hold that this poem was said by many to suffer inaugurated the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout McKays writing career he use a lot of accent mark and African American vernacular in his writing, which was rather controversial at the time. Writing in dialect wasnt considered proper for writing pro forma literature. For this paper I chose the poem If We Must Die, one of his strongest political poem included in Harlem Shadows. The subject social function that McKay writes about is confrontational. eventide if M cKay used classical poetry techniques to write If We Must Die. McKay used the poetry technique of the sonnet by using the 13 lines and 1 last line in the end. In If We Must Die McKay uses rhymes, and metaphors to young man and personify the poem. Using these techniques the audience can identify with the writer and the poem itself. The poem at first seems to have been written for a dismal audience but then it grew tremendously for a wider universal audience. This poem spoke to anyone and everyone who was universe loaded or in a positioning that they werent in control of. This poem was for anyone who is or was put to death. This poem showed that everyone deserves a noble death, a death of honor and respect non to be beaten and treated the likes of an animal but like a human being. If We Must Die was first published in the Liberator in 1919. Then in his compilation of poetry Harlem Shadows in 1922. Where already the world war had ended. It was one of the very first poems that ini tiated the tone, subject and matter of the Harlem Renaissance. The poem is revolutionary, its the type of poem that makes people think and hear action. He made the reader feel important and recognized the tax of a human life. McKay believed part of the poets job is to politically inform the minds of people. lead-in to the influence of such people as Amiri Baraka, starting the Black arts Movement. The poem itself is a validation, r... ...Must Die made the reader, a human being feel important. Instead of seeing yourself as lower than dirt, adapting the mind of the oppressed and not fighting back. We moldiness not sit around speckle horrendous things happen in our society. If we want a change we have to do it ourselves. Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back. If We Must Die If we essential die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an bleak spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, devising their mock at our accursed lot. If we must die, O let us nobly d ie, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead O kinsmen we must meet the common foe Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one deathblow What though before us lies the open grave? Like men well locution the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back Bibliography WORKS CITED - Arno A long way home1937 New York Times 1969 - Barros, Paul De The sleazy Music Of life Representations of Jazz In the Novels of Claude McKay. Antioch Review, Summer 1999. - Claude McKay (1890-1948) March 26, 2000