Poem McKay example essay topic

A Harlem Man's Yearning The Harlem Renaissance was a time in our nations history when a new kind of insurgency developed. In this era, African Americans were for the first time considered artists, not just Negroes. In the midst of all of this was Claude McKay. Born and raised in the tropics of Jamaica, Claude grew up in a very accepting society.

However, moving to America he experienced first hand the harsh realities of racism. In McKay's time, people loved his poems; he was adored by Blacks and Whites alike. However, his likeability can be attributed to his style of poetry. His writings express a yearning he feels for something that has yet to be fulfilled. This yearning is expressed in a plethora of ways, from longing to be back in Jamaica, to social reform; McKay wants something that simply is not happening.

Claude McKay was born in Jamaica in 1889. It was not until 1912 that he came to the United States, and at that time had already published two books of poetry written in the Jamaican language. He eventually settled in New York where he became part of what is now known as the Harlem Renaissance movement, a movement which consisted of an emergence of new black cultural ideas, arts, and music. At the same time, he was involved in Greenwich Village's white radical circles. McKay was not actually in Harlem for most of the '20's, because actually spending time in England, Soviet Russia, France, and northern Africa before he returned to the United States in 1934.

He died in Chicago in poverty and obscurity in 1948. One of McKay's most blatant forms of yearning was expressed in his poem "Tropics of New York". This poem begins with McKay listing certain foods, "Bananas ripe and green, and ginger root Cocoa... Fit for the highest prize at parish fairs (lines 1-4) " In saying this, McKay is indicating just exactly what he's missing from Jamaica, in this case the food and the scenery. In the last stanza, he writes "A wave of longing through my body swept / and, hungry for the old, familiar ways I turned aside and bowed my head and wept (lines 10-11)". This longing was rooted from the inordinate amount of racial prejudice he received while attending the Tuskegee Institute.

This first hand racism McKay received, not only spurred his longing and yearning to be back home in Jamaica, it also spurred a hatred and resentment towards whites. In one of McKay's more popular poems, "If We Must Die" McKay is talking back to his community in response to a series of "race riots" which consisted mainly of whites persecuting and assaulting blacks. In this poem McKay suggests that a radical change occur. Here, McKay is sick of himself and his kinsmen being treated like subordinate creatures "If we must die-let it not be like hogs... mad and hungry dogs (lines 1-2)".

McKay resents the fact that his community be subject to unnecessary injustice just because of their skin color. This resentment quickly turns to hostile anger when McKay says "If we must die... honor us through dead (lines 5-8)". In this poem, McKay is suggesting that his kinsmen (blacks) have no reason to be treated with such injustice. In retaliation to unfair treatment the only noble and righteous thing to be done is fight back, even if resulting in death it is their honor at stake.

It is doubtful that McKay wants to see his fellow brothers die, but he claims it is worth while for their cause as said through out this entire poem. Without question McKay is tired of this unjust treatment, as a result he clearly is yearning for better, just days. During McKay's life he and his community were subject to an inordinate amount of callous treatment. However, McKay used his poetry in order to vent his frustrations rather than brutally lash out on the white community. McKay's makes this point obvious in his poem "White House."Your door is shut against my tightened face (line 1)". McKay began this poem with a very bold statement; he makes his feelings towards this oppression very clear; like he is being kicked out of a club he was invited and enticed to come.

"And I am sharp as steel with discontent / But I posses the courage and grace / to bear my anger proudly and unbent (lines 2-5)". Here, McKay is holding his head up high, in contrast to his anger driven "If We Must Die", McKay is stating that he posses the "courage and grace" to restrain his anger, for he knows of better things to come. McKay also makes it clear that doing this is extremely arduous, as he points out "Oh I must search for wisdom every hour... / and find in it the superhuman power / to hold me to the letter of you law (lines 9-12)". With out question McKay wants things to be better, but he makes it important for his community to know that as African Americans, we have to rise above it. Without question though out McKay's life he experienced the core essence of racial discrimination; for this reason, McKay lived his life with nostalgia.

This yearning for something better spurred his writings. McKay hated this discrimination, and he made it clear in his works. However, he also made it clear that it is important, as persecuted minorities, to rise above the hate, and follow the law. Even though it can be hard, and at times we all wish we could go back to an accepting society, our honor is found in the way we handle the adversity at hand.

Bibliography

Claude McKay, and American Poet May 15, 2005 web Dies man, Jill.
Claude McKay 1891-1948 May 15, 2005 Maxwell, William.
Claude Mckay May 16, 2005 The Works of Claude McKay May 16, 2005 web.