frequently by both white and black newspapers. Claude McKay was all too familiar with the situations that came about from this ongoing race war. One of his more well-known poems‚ “If We Must Die”‚ was published during the summer of 1919‚ better known as the “Red Summer”. This name was given for this time period to symbolize the blood of the many people that we killed. This poem expressed what many were unable to speak‚ but knew they needed to hear. McKay wanted his brethren to rise up and defend themselves
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in honor? During the 1920s‚ the Harlem Renaissance‚ was created for African American to express themselves as free people. At that period of time‚ without showing any respect from the white‚ African American was still treated unequally. But they will want the whites to acknowledge them‚ so they express themselves by showing what they can do such as‚ music‚ film‚ and literature. Through the use of key phrases and metaphor‚ in the poem ¨If We Must Die” by Claude McKay‚ the author shows that African
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“America” the speaker rambled about change while coming to America trying to achieve the “American Dream”. The poem exemplifies quality is something worth fighting for as African Americans at the time would not just stand the hatred from racists .McKay uses lines such as “ as a rebel fronts a king in state/ I stand within her walls with not a shred” this displays that America is deeply rooted with racism. The tone of this poem has hope for change! Personification was used to identify in this poem
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will preach about seizing the day and achieving what you want in life. However‚ once the poem is read‚ it is realized that Claude McKay is truly advocating for African life. As his other poems also illustrated the pain and struggles African suffered‚ this specific poem asked for the honor they were entitled to. If they are constantly being abused by the white supremacy‚ McKay believed that Africans were in
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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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A significant poem by Claude McKay’s "If We Must Die"‚ he was a Jamaican-American author who advocated black self-determination and believed that African-Americans should rely on themselves to become independent and free. He was born on September 15‚ 1889‚ and died on May 22‚ 1948. McKay’s poem presents a significant material in comparing and contrast a good impression of his belief. And also my point of view and my personal experiences on his poem’s "If We Must Die". Throughout the poem‚ he states
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Shaymeon Robertson AP English Literature If We 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
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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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Claude McKay was a Jamaican poet who created a literary movement and heavily influenced the tone for the Harlem Renaissance. In “If We Must Die”‚ he expresses how he wants to retaliate for prejudice and abuse of African-Americans within a english sonnet. McKay employs the english sonnet form to create a couplet that explains the purpose of this fight as the quatrains describe how they will fight. In the first quatrain McKay introduces the the issue; it is announced that they are being attacked.
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The Tropics in New York was 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
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