Claude Mckay Figurative Language

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In the poem If We Must Die, Claude Mckay using figurative language to create a tone connecting it to the history as well as the purpose of the Harlem Renaissance. Claude McKay writes "If we must die, let it not be like hogs/ Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot," (lines 1&2). The simile on lines one and two is comparing the innocent deaths of African Americans to the death of hogs dying. With no respect and lost honor. These African Americans aren’t seen as people but as animals, treated with no respect nor dignity. The speaker is addressing to people and trying to give them the strength and confidence to fight and die in a place that is honorable. Throughout the poem, Claude McKay uses a tone of courageousness to allow the readers understand the …show more content…
In the quote above, the author is trying to give the confidence and strength in fighting back. Claude is trying to allow us to have a sense on how they're going to fight and tried showing how hard that it would be in doing so. The imagery is used to allow the readers picture what is going on. This quote is showing us that even though they’re going to be against a brutal group of people, that it’s better to fight for what is right then not fighting back. He is also hoping that if anything happens he is anticipating that the African Americans will fight back for their honor. It allows us to understand how hard it was for African Americans to feel or have that sense that they are truly honored and special. As well as containing a value, which is the reason why they're fighting back. They want to get that honor back and fight back for their rights as African Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout the Harlem Renaissance, the point of African Americans leaving white towns, was to allow themselves to feel more comfortable within themselves as well as redefining the image of what African Americans are “supposed” to look like. This gave African Americans to redefine themselves in who they wanted to
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