When I first read, If We Must Die, I believed Claude McKay to be referencing some kind of war. He evokes strong emotion with his use of words such as hog and monsters. This poem is about dying with dignity and nobility. The narrator does not want to be 'hunted and penned in an inglorious spot.' He doesn't want their 'precious blood' to be shed in vain. This line is what made me believe he was referencing war. They want their lives to count and be part of the cause. They do not want to just lay down their weapons because they have been outnumbered, they, 'Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, Pressed to the wall, dying,
but fighting back.'
It is interesting to note that Claude McKay was a descendant of slaves. At the age of twenty-three he came to the United Stated to attend college. At age thirty he was in England, later living in Russia and France. In 1934, McKay moved back to the United States and settled in Harlem, New York.
After reading some of McKay's background, I am not sure what this poem is referencing. I am certain that he would have seen some oppression in Harlem and possibly in Moscow and the tales of slavery from his relatives. Was it a combination of these events that inspired him to write?
I like the combo-summary of "Harlem, Moscow and
ReplyDeletea taste of slavery from his relatives". I too, agree with this conclusion. I do think it is
a call to action, by a sensitive writer feeling
the weight and frustrations of ages of oppression
and misunderstanding. He seems weary, but not
ready to give up the fight- quite the opposite.
I believe that you have some itneresting points about Claude McKay not experiencing the blunt of the hatred and oppression he talks about, but witnessing it. Nonetheless, I think he felt the sting of racism. It would be almost impossible not to for a black man back then. Nonetheless, I think Claude does emphasize with the plight of his relative and those around him, like you said.
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