Nataphorn Soontornworasate 1102

Claude Mckay

Racism is one of the terrible things to do with human. Do you think it can disappear from

our society? Claude Mckay wishes that too. He is a black Jamaican poet that was born in 1889 and

died in 1948 who started to write poetry at the age of ten. Mckay was considered as one of the

major keys during the Harlem Renaissance, cultural movement that took place in Harlem, New

York, spanned the 1920s through 1930s. Mckay immigrated from Jamaica to America to study for

college degrees and finally ended up in Harlem, New York (Biography, 2018). His poorly

experience toward racism as African-American is considerably influenced plenty of his works.

Mckay uses symbolism to explore the limitation of black people in America.

The poem “If We Must Die” was published during the Harlem Renaissance in the early 20th

century. Mckay portrays the deep feeling toward segregation during that period of time throughout

the symbolism in his poem. He uses mad and hungry dog compare as white American racist. Mckay

moved to New York to further study and finally settled down in Harlem. As one of the African-

American, he faced many violence and crucial events from racism. Black people were treated

differently from whites. They were put into unsafe and uncomfortable circumstance. He uses the

animal as symbols: hog and dog. He uses animal to dehumanize the people he is fighting against

which are white racists. In the poem “If we must die, let it not be like hogs” (line 1), Mckay

mentioned that black people not die like hogs. For hog, it doesn’t usually die in the noble way

which means he prefers that his companions die like men. “While round us bark the mad and

hungry dogs,” Mckay use the symbol of dogs as white people to powerless them and to reduce fear

from his neighbors. Also, dogs have been used to represent the enemy in the poem. In comparing

hungry dogs hunting their prey, Mckay wants to result in the inhuman aspect comparing with

racists. The phrase “Their mock at our accursed lot,” showing the discriminant idea. He mentioned
that white people disdain their accursed, which definitely because of their race. He repeatedly states

that the blacks must be willing to die for their right to stir up the black people.

In 1921, Mckay wrote a poem called ”The White City” using symbolism to express his

hatred against white people and racism, also emphasizing about his love of city during his life in

New York. After he has moved to America, he decided to settle down in Harlem, where most of

African-American stayed in New York. He became part of the literary movement in Harlem,

Harlem Renaissance. In the poem "makes my heaven in the white world’s hell,” (line 7), he describe

his place, Harlem, as heaven where allow him to live his life peacefully without facing any of

racism or violence and also allow him to express his passion to write the poem, whereas his heaven

is in the white world’s hell. For Harlem located in New York where white men live. Mckay also

describe New York city via the quote “I see the mighty city through a mist” (line 9). Through his

experience in New York, New York is a beautiful city, only its layer of whiteness cover it from fully

beautiful visual. The word mighty show his respect for the city. So, Harlem seems to be the only

place that gives African-American the life without discriminating or violence. The symbol of

heaven and hell are contrasted to show the risky outside Harlem that surrounding with racist

American, for Harlem is settle in the middle of the New York.

Mckay uses various literary devices in his poems to show how he was treated by white

people in America. For this poem “The Lynching”, he uses the symbol fiendish glee to reveal his

opinion toward segregation. This poem, Mckay mentioned about the dreadful event that black

people were hanged and killed or lynched without any guilty. He shows how crucial white people

could be via their acts of violence committed against blacks. He wishes that the spirit of the pitiful

man would go to heaven with peacefully. He provides the view of how the community viewed the

lynching “but never a one/ Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue” (line 12), this show how
heartless of racist by looking at the dead body of the innocent man. Nobody feels sad or sorry for

him from being killed because of his skin color. “Danced round the dreadful thing in fiendish

glee,” (line 14) is used to describe how white people enjoyed looking the lynching of black man and

dancing around the remains, and the phrase fiendish glee is used to express joyfulness of white

racists who enjoy the death of a man who has different race from them. Mckay communicates that

the pleasure from seeing innocent people because of their race compare as an act of evil for it is

way too brutal and inhuman. The meaning of fiendish glee points out the heartless attitude of white

people in America toward African-American during that period.

Mckay uses many terms to symbolize the deed of excluding African-American people and

white people in America. Mad and hungry dogs, heaven, and fiendish glee are the symbol that

Mckay uses to portray his perspective, opinion, and experience on segregation during the 20th

century. He represents the inequality between blacks and whites from his experience when he lived

in America through mad and hungry dogs, and compare Harlem, the only place where African-

American are able to live with peacefully, as heaven to show his attitude to racists. Also, Mackay

uses the phrase of fiendish glee to show how evil whites during that period could be. It is clear that

most of Mckay’s poems are focus on racism to show the disadvantages of being black.
Work Cited

Biography. (2018). Claude McKay. [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/

people/claude-mckay-9392654 [Accessed 1 Jun. 2018].

UKEssays. (2018). Analysis Of If We Must Die Poem English Literature Essay. [online]

Available at: https://www.ukessays.com/essays/english-literature/analysis- of-if-we-must-

die-poem-english-literature-essay.php [Accessed 1 Jun. 2018].

Ginaharlemrenaissance.blogspot.com. (2018). "The White City" by Claude McKay. [online]

Available at: http://ginaharlemrenaissance.blogspot.com/2012/03/white-city- by-claude-

mckay.html [Accessed 2 Jun. 2018].

Google Earth Poetics. (2018). “The Lynching” by Claude McKay. [online] Available at:

https://googleearthpoetics.wordpress.com/2012 /05/07/the-lynching-by-claude-mckay/

[Accessed 3 Jun. 2018].