If We Must Die Mckay
In rhyme and meter, Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die” generally conforms to the conventions of a Shakespearean sonnet, but at several moments throughout the poem, McKay also strays from the rules of the English sonnet. In composing his poem in the style of the traditional Shakespearean sonnet, McKay creates a clear narrative that is both easy to follow and equally artistic. However, in deviating from this conventional style, McKay draws attention to specific phrases that contribute greatly to the contrasting sentiments of shame and nobility that permeate the fourteen lines of the poem. By utilizing the quatrain structure of the Shakespearean sonnet, and accentuating it through his choice of end-rhymes, McKay controls the story and tone progression
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of the poem. As a Shakespearean poem, “If We Must Die” is arranged as three quatrains followed by a couplet. The organization into individual quatrains and couplet creates four noticeable stages in the poem, and changes in literal techniques makes the progression from one stage to another creative yet observable. In the first quatrain, the end-rhymes are “hogs”, “spot”, “dogs”, and “lot”; all short words that have a sharp consonant near the end. In addition, many of the words in the quatrain in general have sharp consonant endings. The abruptness of these words embodies the overarching sentiment of the first quatrain: of aggression and hostility. He uses words such as “mad and hungry dogs”(line 3), and “hunted and penned”(line 2) to describe the enemy. After all, it is in this quatrain that the speaker laments the dire, “inglorious” predicament that he and his companions found themselves in. While the first quatrain seems to be the speaker bursting with rage, the second quatrain represents his mood as he progresses into a more retrospective, calm state. This quatrain is more about him and his men rather than the enemy, and he speaks with phrases such as “nobly die” and “precious blood”. At the same time, McKay uses end rhymes that match the changing sentiment. Two of the rhymes end with softer vowels and two end with a meekly sharp “d” sound. Through his choice of end-rhymes, McKay accentuates the shift in tone from hostility to retrospection. In the third quatrain, the mood of the poem takes on a different turn. The end rhymes end more fluidly, with two “o” sounds and two “ve” sounds. Thus, you would think that McKay intends to slow down the poem, but instead he uses trochaic meter displaying intensity that separates the first and third quatrain. Finally, the speaker ends with two very sharp ending consonants with the “k” sound. The endings of words is only one of the many literary devices that conveys the distinct tones or sentiments of each section and help articulate the progression from one quatrain to another. When McKay deviates from sonnet convention by altering the poem’s meter, he emphasizes the presence of honorability, and its importance, in the speaker’s situation.
For example, in the second line, there are 11 syllables instead of the usual 10 in iambic pentameter. The responsibility for such a break in sonnet convention falls mainly on the four syllable word “inglorious”. Accordingly, this word actually carries critical meaning throughout the poem. The emphasis on the word inglorious makes sense because in the next quatrain, the speaker urges his troops to do the noble, or glorious, thing and fight back. Another example is the extra syllable in line seven, which helps lead into the next line by making it an awkward pause in itself. The extra syllable and lack of actual punctuation fits in with the ranting, run-on feel of the quatrain. After all, it is here that he reaches the climax of his urging. He argues that they must fight on because “then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” Finally, in line 13 there is an extra foot. This subsequently turns the reader’s attentions towards the two long words in the line, “murderous” and “cowardly”. Again, these are crucial words that highlight the light in which the speaker holds his enemy. They are not honorable, like the speaker wishes to be, but murderous and cowardly. In the third quatrain, there start to be a lot more trochee-sounding phrases. In contrast with the softness of the end rhymes, the trochaic tone creates a sense of intensity. In energy, the third quatrain matches the first quatrain, but it’s no longer through aggression and spitting out words like “hog” and “hunted” and “dogs”. Instead, the third quatrain is a valiant salutation to the noble act that they are about to execute. They will “show us brave”(line 10) and “for their thousand blows deal one deathblow”. In this combination of trochaic intensity and mellow word choice, the author highlights the speaker’s
progression from blatant bitterness to a man with a deeper sense of responsibility.
of the poem. As a Shakespearean poem, “If We Must Die” is arranged as three quatrains followed by a couplet. The organization into individual quatrains and couplet creates four noticeable stages in the poem, and changes in literal techniques makes the progression from one stage to another creative yet observable. In the first quatrain, the end-rhymes are “hogs”, “spot”, “dogs”, and “lot”; all short words that have a sharp consonant near the end. In addition, many of the words in the quatrain in general have sharp consonant endings. The abruptness of these words embodies the overarching sentiment of the first quatrain: of aggression and hostility. He uses words such as “mad and hungry dogs”(line 3), and “hunted and penned”(line 2) to describe the enemy. After all, it is in this quatrain that the speaker laments the dire, “inglorious” predicament that he and his companions found themselves in. While the first quatrain seems to be the speaker bursting with rage, the second quatrain represents his mood as he progresses into a more retrospective, calm state. This quatrain is more about him and his men rather than the enemy, and he speaks with phrases such as “nobly die” and “precious blood”. At the same time, McKay uses end rhymes that match the changing sentiment. Two of the rhymes end with softer vowels and two end with a meekly sharp “d” sound. Through his choice of end-rhymes, McKay accentuates the shift in tone from hostility to retrospection. In the third quatrain, the mood of the poem takes on a different turn. The end rhymes end more fluidly, with two “o” sounds and two “ve” sounds. Thus, you would think that McKay intends to slow down the poem, but instead he uses trochaic meter displaying intensity that separates the first and third quatrain. Finally, the speaker ends with two very sharp ending consonants with the “k” sound. The endings of words is only one of the many literary devices that conveys the distinct tones or sentiments of each section and help articulate the progression from one quatrain to another. When McKay deviates from sonnet convention by altering the poem’s meter, he emphasizes the presence of honorability, and its importance, in the speaker’s situation.
For example, in the second line, there are 11 syllables instead of the usual 10 in iambic pentameter. The responsibility for such a break in sonnet convention falls mainly on the four syllable word “inglorious”. Accordingly, this word actually carries critical meaning throughout the poem. The emphasis on the word inglorious makes sense because in the next quatrain, the speaker urges his troops to do the noble, or glorious, thing and fight back. Another example is the extra syllable in line seven, which helps lead into the next line by making it an awkward pause in itself. The extra syllable and lack of actual punctuation fits in with the ranting, run-on feel of the quatrain. After all, it is here that he reaches the climax of his urging. He argues that they must fight on because “then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” Finally, in line 13 there is an extra foot. This subsequently turns the reader’s attentions towards the two long words in the line, “murderous” and “cowardly”. Again, these are crucial words that highlight the light in which the speaker holds his enemy. They are not honorable, like the speaker wishes to be, but murderous and cowardly. In the third quatrain, there start to be a lot more trochee-sounding phrases. In contrast with the softness of the end rhymes, the trochaic tone creates a sense of intensity. In energy, the third quatrain matches the first quatrain, but it’s no longer through aggression and spitting out words like “hog” and “hunted” and “dogs”. Instead, the third quatrain is a valiant salutation to the noble act that they are about to execute. They will “show us brave”(line 10) and “for their thousand blows deal one deathblow”. In this combination of trochaic intensity and mellow word choice, the author highlights the speaker’s
progression from blatant bitterness to a man with a deeper sense of responsibility.