Claude Mckay If We Must Die
Corbin kollar Kollar 1
Mrs. Sackett
English 11
12/19/17
If we must die “Though out numbered let’s us show are brave” (McKay, 10). In the 1920s, a cultural movement in which African Americans moved up north and spread their culture was an era called the Harlem Renaissance. During this time, there were many writers spreading the culture of African Americans. Poems were a popular way to express their culture at the time. Many of these poems deal with racism in everyday lives, and the struggle for equality. Claude McKay informs readers on his need for equality in his poem “If We Must Die”. In his poem he expands on these ideas by …show more content…
He uses words that the readers are supposed to infer to mean other things, like hogs. Hog means a pig literally but, figuratively and in this poem it means dirty, messy, wild, and selfish. Claude McKay uses this many time through out the poem to get his point across without having to be so direct and saying blacks are treated like animals. “Making there mock at are accursed lot/hunted and penned in in An inglorious spot” (2-4). In a majority of lines in this poem consonance is used an a Shakespearean sonnet. During this time period writing in this style makes you look smarter. Often times it’s like when writers use the correct amount of semicolons. The use of consonance is supposed to match the flow of iambic pentameter which gives it that horse galloping flow to the poem. This poem also follows the rhyme scheme of abab which is also used to help it sound like Shakespearean sonnet. In his work he uses this rhyme scheme to match the style of the Shakespearean sonnet, again to make it seem more
Mrs. Sackett
English 11
12/19/17
If we must die “Though out numbered let’s us show are brave” (McKay, 10). In the 1920s, a cultural movement in which African Americans moved up north and spread their culture was an era called the Harlem Renaissance. During this time, there were many writers spreading the culture of African Americans. Poems were a popular way to express their culture at the time. Many of these poems deal with racism in everyday lives, and the struggle for equality. Claude McKay informs readers on his need for equality in his poem “If We Must Die”. In his poem he expands on these ideas by …show more content…
He uses words that the readers are supposed to infer to mean other things, like hogs. Hog means a pig literally but, figuratively and in this poem it means dirty, messy, wild, and selfish. Claude McKay uses this many time through out the poem to get his point across without having to be so direct and saying blacks are treated like animals. “Making there mock at are accursed lot/hunted and penned in in An inglorious spot” (2-4). In a majority of lines in this poem consonance is used an a Shakespearean sonnet. During this time period writing in this style makes you look smarter. Often times it’s like when writers use the correct amount of semicolons. The use of consonance is supposed to match the flow of iambic pentameter which gives it that horse galloping flow to the poem. This poem also follows the rhyme scheme of abab which is also used to help it sound like Shakespearean sonnet. In his work he uses this rhyme scheme to match the style of the Shakespearean sonnet, again to make it seem more