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Claude McKay (1889-1948) was a Jamaican-American writer and poet who was a seminal figure during the. Harlem Renaissance. McKay dedicated his life to ...
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"Mackey" by James L. Allen is in the public domain.
If We Must Die by Claude McKay is in the public domain.
By Claude McKay 1919
Claude McKay (1889-1948) was a Jamaican-American writer and poet who was a seminal figure during the Harlem Renaissance. McKay dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of oppressed people through his writing, and “If We Must Die” reflects McKay’s perspective on the black experience in America during the early 20th century. As you read, pay attention to how McKay’s use of aural and figurative language conveys his themes.
If we must die, let it not be like hogs Hunted and penned in an inglorious^1 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^2 to honor us though dead! O kinsmen!^3 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!
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Directions: For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences.
Directions: Brainstorm your answers to the following questions in the space provided. Be prepared to share your original ideas in a class discussion.