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Harlem's Social Injustice

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Harlem’s social injustices

There are many similar but different views on Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die.” Many have noticed that Claude wrote this poem in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet, using an iambic pentameter and ending it with a couplet as well as including imagery. The speaker is a sort of leader, calling out to others to overcome the “common foe” and live and die with meaning and bravery. The theme is honor, the speaker says “if we must die, O let us nobly die” (McKay 514), encouraging the audience to go forth and fight what is holding them back. Honor is earned, a privilege that is only obtained when effort is put towards it. The poem hints towards racial prejudice which had been a social issue during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. …show more content…
The first thing that is read on line one is “If we must die, let it not be like hogs.” This is a direct statement towards self-worth, they do not want to be treated like a dirty animal that is only on the earth to be butchered and eaten. They want to be treated with dignity and be honor, like men. They are fighting for their rights and nothing is being acknowledged. There is a reaction that should come from the reader, one of not quite empathy, but at the very least, understanding.
Using a couplet at the end of a poem is a technique that was made famous by William Shakespeare. A couplet is two lines of verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme. The last two lines of “If we must die” are “Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack, / pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back” (13/14)! This sentence is so powerful, drawing your attention to the fact that although they are in danger of being killed because of their race and beliefs, does not mean that they will back down. Couplets are meant to highlight and stress the theme of the poem, which in this case can clearly be interpreted as prideful and strong. Therefore, having the couplet strategically placed at the end of the poem is going to leave an impression on the reader, given that it will be the last thing that is

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