3. Claude McKay Poetry newest

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                <title> Claude McKay Poetry: Expressions of Racial Tension during the Red Scare and It's Effect on People of Color </title>
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                <p>Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Claude McKay to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences.</p>
            </publicationStmt>
            <sourceDesc>
                <p>This source is a collective grouping of three of Claude McKay's popular poetry pieces. 
                    It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.</p>
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        <head><hi> If We Must Die</hi></head>
        <p> by Claude Mckay</p>
         <note><figure><graphic url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154123599@N04/40940619975/sizes/l/"/></figure></note>
             <l>        </l>
        <l n="1">If we must die, let it not be like hogs</l>
        <l n="2">Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,</l>
        <l n="3">While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,</l>
        <l n="4">Making their mock at our accursèd lot.</l>
        <l n="5">If we must die, O let us nobly die,</l>
        <l n="6">So that our precious blood may not be shed</l>
        <l n="7">In vain; then even the monsters we defy</l>
        <l n="8">Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!</l>
        <l n="9">O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!</l>
        <l n="10">Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,</l>
        <l n="11">And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!</l>
        <l n="12">What though before us lies the open grave?</l>
        <l n="13">Like men we’ll face the murderous,cowardly pack,</l>
        <l n="14">Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!</l>
        <l>          </l>
        <note> McKay wrote this poem in 1919 during the Red Scare and the Red Summer race riots that happened throughout many urban cities 
            all over the United States The Red Scare/Summer was a time of paranoia communism that plagued New York City and caused many fingers to be pointed at
        essentially anyone but mainly people of color were accused by whites (History.com). Often times the black community fought back in these race riots and this 
        artistry is a an expressive message to people of color during this time, to not cowar and be dormant, but rise up, fight back and die with dignity. </note>
        
    </body></text>
   
    <text><body>
        <head><hi> America</hi></head>
        <p> by Claude McKay</p>
        <l>        </l>
        <l n="1">Although <hi>she</hi><note> Why refer to America as a 'she' and not a 'he'? 
            How does gender play a role in the interepreatation of the poem?
        </note>feeds me bread of bitterness,</l>
        <l n="2">And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,</l>
        <l n="3">Stealing my breath of life, I will confess</l>
        <l n="4">I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.</l>
        <l n="5">Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,</l>
        <l n="6">Giving me strength erect against her hate,</l>
        <l n="7">Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.</l>
        <l n="8">Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state,</l>
        <l n="9">I stand within her walls with not a shred</l>
        <l n="10">Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.</l>
        <l n="11">Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,</l>
        <l n="12">And see her might and granite wonders there,</l>
        <l n="13">Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,</l>
        <l n="14">Like <hi>priceless treasures</hi><note>What priceless treasures could McKay be referring to, based n historical information?</note> 
            sinking in the sand.</l>
        <l>              </l>
        <note>This piece was first published in 1921 in the Liberator. With ths poem being written just three years after the "If We Musr Die," 
        I feel that McKay has started to view America as an unfair and somewhat cruel place during this time. He's not expressing defeat but the exact opposite.
        He's describing an awkaeing feeling of seeing America for the bully it is and how he will not complain about it but holds the hope of seeing when 
        America will provide wishful wonders of future equality and how black people are seen in society. </note>
    </body></text>
    
      <text> <body>
        <head><hi>The White City</hi></head>
        <p> by Claude McKay</p>
        <l>             </l>
        <l n="1">I will not toy with it nor bend an inch.</l>
        <l n="2">Deep in the secret chambers of my heart</l>
        <l n="3">I muse my life-long hate, and without flinch</l>
        <l n="4">I bear it nobly as I live my part.</l>
        <l n="5">My being would be a skeleton, a shell,</l>
        <l n="6">If this dark Passion that fills my every mood,</l>
        <l n="7">And makes my heaven in the <hi>white world’s hell,</hi><note> What made it a 'white world's hell'?</note></l>
        <l n="8">Did not forever feed me vital blood.</l>
        <l n="9">I see the mighty city through a mist—</l>
        <l n="10">The strident trains that speed the goaded mass,</l>
        <l n="11">The poles and spires and towers vapor-kissed,</l>
        <l n="12">The fortressed port through which the great ships pass,</l>
        <l n="13">The tides, the wharves, the dens I contemplate,</l>
        <l n="14">Are sweet like wanton loves because I hate.</l>
        <l>               </l>
        <note>The racially motivated tension, or as McKay described it "hate", stems from a time before the Harlem Renaissance. 
            During the time of segregation, their was obvious tension and racial discrimation on people of color because of how they looked.
            Even before the time of segregation, slavery played  a huge part in the interaction between white people and people of color. However, being
            written in 1921, after the Red Scare played a large part in creating a violent, rageful and discriminatory nature toward people of color and ultimately kept
            races divided. Claude expresses how he won't let this hatred consume him and keep him dormant but rather look forward to a time to escape from 
            these racial inequalities and see better days ahead.</note>
        
    </body></text>
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Claude McKay Poetry: Expressions of Racial Tension during the Red Scare and It's Effect on People of Color

Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Claude McKay to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences.

This source is a collective grouping of three of Claude McKay's popular poetry pieces. It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.

 If We Must Die

by Claude Mckay

1
If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursèd lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead! O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we’ll face the murderous,cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! 2 McKay wrote this poem in 1919 during the Red Scare and the Red Summer race riots that happened throughout many urban cities all over the United States The Red Scare/Summer was a time of paranoia communism that plagued New York City and caused many fingers to be pointed at essentially anyone but mainly people of color were accused by whites (History.com). Often times the black community fought back in these race riots and this artistry is a an expressive message to people of color during this time, to not cowar and be dormant, but rise up, fight back and die with dignity. America

by Claude McKay

Although she3 Why refer to America as a 'she' and not a 'he'? How does gender play a role in the interepreatation of the poem? feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth, Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth. Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, Giving me strength erect against her hate, Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood. Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state, I stand within her walls with not a shred Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer. Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there, Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand, Like priceless treasures4 What priceless treasures could McKay be referring to, based n historical information? sinking in the sand. 5 This piece was first published in 1921 in the Liberator. With ths poem being written just three years after the "If We Musr Die," I feel that McKay has started to view America as an unfair and somewhat cruel place during this time. He's not expressing defeat but the exact opposite. He's describing an awkaeing feeling of seeing America for the bully it is and how he will not complain about it but holds the hope of seeing when America will provide wishful wonders of future equality and how black people are seen in society. The White City

by Claude McKay

I will not toy with it nor bend an inch. Deep in the secret chambers of my heart I muse my life-long hate, and without flinch I bear it nobly as I live my part. My being would be a skeleton, a shell, If this dark Passion that fills my every mood, And makes my heaven in the white world’s hell,6 What made it a 'white world's hell'? Did not forever feed me vital blood. I see the mighty city through a mist— The strident trains that speed the goaded mass, The poles and spires and towers vapor-kissed, The fortressed port through which the great ships pass, The tides, the wharves, the dens I contemplate, Are sweet like wanton loves because I hate. 7 The racially motivated tension, or as McKay described it "hate", stems from a time before the Harlem Renaissance. During the time of segregation, their was obvious tension and racial discrimation on people of color because of how they looked. Even before the time of segregation, slavery played a huge part in the interaction between white people and people of color. However, being written in 1921, after the Red Scare played a large part in creating a violent, rageful and discriminatory nature toward people of color and ultimately kept races divided. Claude expresses how he won't let this hatred consume him and keep him dormant but rather look forward to a time to escape from these racial inequalities and see better days ahead.

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Claude McKay Poetry: Expressions of Racial Tension during the Red Scare and It's Effect on People of Color

Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Claude McKay to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences.

This source is a collective grouping of three of Claude McKay's popular poetry pieces. It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.

 If We Must Die

by Claude Mckay

 If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursèd lot. If we must die, O let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shed In vain; then even the monsters we defy Shall be constrained to honor us though dead! O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we’ll face the murderous,cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back! McKay wrote this poem in 1919 during the Red Scare and the Red Summer race riots that happened throughout many urban cities all over the United States The Red Scare/Summer was a time of paranoia communism that plagued New York City and caused many fingers to be pointed at essentially anyone but mainly people of color were accused by whites (History.com). Often times the black community fought back in these race riots and this artistry is a an expressive message to people of color during this time, to not cowar and be dormant, but rise up, fight back and die with dignity. America

by Claude McKay

Although she Why refer to America as a 'she' and not a 'he'? How does gender play a role in the interepreatation of the poem? feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth, Stealing my breath of life, I will confess I love this cultured hell that tests my youth. Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, Giving me strength erect against her hate, Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood. Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state, I stand within her walls with not a shred Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer. Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there, Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand, Like priceless treasures What priceless treasures could McKay be referring to, based n historical information? sinking in the sand. This piece was first published in 1921 in the Liberator. With ths poem being written just three years after the "If We Musr Die," I feel that McKay has started to view America as an unfair and somewhat cruel place during this time. He's not expressing defeat but the exact opposite. He's describing an awkaeing feeling of seeing America for the bully it is and how he will not complain about it but holds the hope of seeing when America will provide wishful wonders of future equality and how black people are seen in society. The White City

by Claude McKay

I will not toy with it nor bend an inch. Deep in the secret chambers of my heart I muse my life-long hate, and without flinch I bear it nobly as I live my part. My being would be a skeleton, a shell, If this dark Passion that fills my every mood, And makes my heaven in the white world’s hell, What made it a 'white world's hell'? Did not forever feed me vital blood. I see the mighty city through a mist— The strident trains that speed the goaded mass, The poles and spires and towers vapor-kissed, The fortressed port through which the great ships pass, The tides, the wharves, the dens I contemplate, Are sweet like wanton loves because I hate. The racially motivated tension, or as McKay described it "hate", stems from a time before the Harlem Renaissance. During the time of segregation, their was obvious tension and racial discrimation on people of color because of how they looked. Even before the time of segregation, slavery played a huge part in the interaction between white people and people of color. However, being written in 1921, after the Red Scare played a large part in creating a violent, rageful and discriminatory nature toward people of color and ultimately kept races divided. Claude expresses how he won't let this hatred consume him and keep him dormant but rather look forward to a time to escape from these racial inequalities and see better days ahead.