“If We Must Die” is a poem by Jamaican-American writer Claude McKay (1890–1948) published in the July 1919 issue of The Liberator magazine. McKay wrote the poem in response to mob attacks by white Americans upon African-American

Why did the author of If We Must Die use apostrophe in most of the poem?

Using apostrophe, the speaker addresses a group of oppressed people who seem to be living under the threat of certain death. (And the speaker is part of this group: he or she addresses them as “we” in the first line).

What is the purpose of If We Must Die?

It is a poem of political resistance: it calls for oppressed people to resist their oppressors, violently and bravely—even if they die in the struggle. Though the poem has most often been read as a call to resist anti-black racism, it does not limit its call for resistance to a specific kind of oppression.

What is Claude McKay's purpose for writing If We Must Die?

Unlike other writers in the Harlem Renaissance movement, McKay often writes with rage and a call to action. If We Must Die was written as a response to what is now called the Red Summer of 1919. During this summer, there was a rise in hate crime, race riots, and overall violence towards the black community.

What did Claude McKay focus his writing against?

Claude McKay, born Festus Claudius McKay in Sunny Ville, Jamaica in 1889, was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a prominent literary movement of the 1920s. His work ranged from vernacular verse celebrating peasant life in Jamaica to poems that protested racial and economic inequities.

How can you describe the persona in the poem If We Must Die?

The persona is a black American who is oppressed, humiliated and persecuted. We know this from the history of the poet and the fact that blacks were hunted, penned (locked in small cells) and killed like hogs (pigs) in America. Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot.

What is the tone of the poem If We Must Die?

The tone of “If We Must Die” conveys inspiration, while the tone of “Harlem” is frustration which indicates the difference between the poets’ attitudes toward racial oppression. In the first eight lines of “If We Must Die”, the speaker insists on dying nobly.

What is the purpose of the alliteration in line 4 If We Must Die?

What is the purpose of the alliteration in line 4? It repeats a letter sound to imitate the sound of giggling.

What is noble death according to Claude McKay?

By Claude McKay If we must die, O let us nobly die, … Instead, the speaker wants his group to die in a noble way. This idea of a “noble” death brings to mind images of heroic deaths in battle. It’s still a common image today that we see in lots of books and movies.

Who wrote the poem If We Must Die?

Claude McKay, born Festus Claudius McKay in Sunny Ville, Jamaica in 1889, was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a prominent literary movement of the 1920s.

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When did McKay write If We Must Die?

In the context of this mass white-supremacist violence against Black communities, Jamaican-born poet and novelist Claude McKay (1889-1948) wrote the sonnet “If We Must Die.” The poem was first published in the July 1919 issue of The Liberator, a monthly socialist magazine, when McKay was nearly thirty years old.

What do the first four lines establish in If We Must Die?

Lines 1 through 4 establish that the speaker and his allies are under attack. The speaker urges his allies not to give up without a fight. The next four lines draw on the emotions of the allies to die honorably. Lines 9 through 12 contain the speaker’s rallying cry to his allies.

What figurative language is used in If We Must Die?

McKay makes use of several poetic techniques in If We Must Die. These include alliteration, enjambment, metaphor, and repetition. The latter, repetition, is the use and reuse of a specific technique, word, tone, or phrase within a poem.

Why did Claude McKay write America?

Whites committed hate crimes against black communities all over America, and the summer became known as the Red Summer of 1919. Race riots in the summer of 1919 inspired McKay. The poem encourages the African-American community to fight back against the perpetrators of the bloodshed.

Why did Claude McKay write?

McKay left for the US in 1912 to attend Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). He was shocked by the intense racism he encountered when he arrived in Charleston, South Carolina, where many public facilities were segregated; this inspired him to write more poetry.

When did Claude McKay write America?

“America” by Claude McKay, 1921. I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.

Which statement best describes the main theme of the poem If?

What statement best describes the main theme of the poem? It is better to grow up alone than with friends. Children are often reluctant to accept their parents’ advice.

What is the speaker's attitude about death?

All in all, the speaker accepts that death is inevitable but also sees it as being a very depressing element.

What is the effect of repeating the phrase ain't got nobody in the poem?

What is the effect of repeating the phrase “ain’t got nobody” in the poem? It emphasizes the theme of sorrow and melancholy in the poem. It illustrates the singer’s reluctance to perform the blues.

Who wrote the poem to a dark girl?

Most of Bennett’s published work, including two short stories, appeared in 1923–28, and though it is often anthologized, her work has not been collected. Her ballads, odes, sonnets, and protest poetry are notable for their visual imagery; her best-known poem is the sensual “To a Dark Girl.”

What is the meaning of the poem when I was one and twenty?

“When I Was One-and-Twenty” is a poem that focuses on the naivety of youth, looking at the way that young people usually fail to listen to the advice of those that are older and, perhaps, wiser.

What does What though before us lies the open grave mean?

Line 12 asks, “What though before us lies an open grave?” This rhetorical question is another way of saying what the author has already said twice: “If we must die.” The speaker uses the image of the open grave to signify that this battle will be to the end, but that should not deter the brave warriors from their noble …

In what ways are the lines of the Weary Blues?

In what way are the lines of “The Weary Blues” similar to the lyrics of a blues song? The poem uses repetition to create meaning. In what way does the line “sags like a heavy load” in “Harlem” relate to the overall feeling of “The Weary Blues”? The song lyrics in “The Weary Blues” reflect a “heavy load” for the singer.

What is theme of the poem?

Theme is the lesson or message of the poem.

What does making their mock at our accursed lot mean?

Making their mock at our accursed lot. The attackers harass in a humiliating way, almost celebrating their dominance over their victims. (“Mocking” is making fun of someone, except there is no fun in mocking.) The mocking is vicious and hurtful. It is meant to take all the power out of the victims.

What is revealed by the actions described in Reapers?

What is revealed by the actions described in “Reapers”? the numbing effect on workers of repetitive work. What action is reflected by the repetition of sound: Black reapers with the sound of steel on stones/Are sharpening scythes.

How does the oxymoron in line four demonstrate the reason McKay loves America still?

How does the oxymoron in line four demonstrate the reason McKay loves America still? The phrase “cultured hell.” While he dealt with racial tension, it was during the 1920’s that America was growing culturally in fashion, music, dance, and literature.

Why did Claude McKay move to Harlem?

Claude McKay moved to Harlem, New York, after publishing his first books of poetry, and established himself as a literary voice for social justice during the Harlem Renaissance.

Why did Claude McKay write after the winter?

The purpose of Claude McKay’s poem is to inform the people that there is a light in the end of the tunnel. That something good will come out of all this destruction. McKay also wants people to have the same amount racial pride and sense of African heritage as he does.