Thursday, October 1: Claude McKay's poem America, focus on personification and imagery

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Claude Mc Kay's America.

     Guiding questions:

             What is the theme or central idea of Claude McKay's American.

              How does he feel about this city?

              What are clues in the poem that tell us how feels.

              This unit has to do with prejudice and discrimination. How is this relevant to 

this poem?


New York skyline 1920's


AMERICA

by Claude McKay

1921

      


Festus Claudius “Claude” McKay (1889-1948) was a Jamaican-American novelist and poet who played an important role in the Harlem Renaissance — a cultural, social, and artistic movement that took place in Harlem, New York. “America” was first published in The Liberator in 1921, in which the speaker discusses his or her feelings about America. 

 As you read, note the  use of the figurative language device of imagery* in this sonnet* that communicates the speaker's perspective on America. We will be reviewing the poem's imagery in class on Thursday.


* an English sonnet has 14 lines of 10 syllables per line

*imagery is the use of figurative language to represent the objects, ideas, and actions in such a way that the appeals to the physical senses  

* a personification is a figurative language or literary device that assigns human qualities and attributes to objects or other non-human things.

* a simile is compares two unlike things introduced by like or as

* a metaphor makes a comparison by directly relating one thing to another unrelated thing. Unlike similes, metaphors do not use words such as “like” or “as” to make comparisons.

1. Although she feeds me bread of bitterness,

And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,
Stealing my breath of life, I will confess
I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.
5. Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,
Giving me strength erect against her hate,
Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.
Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state,
I stand within her walls with not a shred
10. Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.
Darkly I gaze into the days ahead,
And see her might and granite wonders there,
Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,
Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.

Text-Dependent Questions Directions:

 For the following questions, choose the best answer or respond in complete sentences

Please write in the correct letter.

                                        Question1_________________

1. PART A: Which of the following best describes the speaker’s feelings about America?

A. The speaker has experienced both good and bad things in America, and thus

remains indifferent.

B. The speaker despises America and has decided to speak out about their bad

experiences.

C. The speaker has a love-hate relationship with America, but ultimately has lost

faith in the country.

D. The speaker dislikes and has lost faith in America and believes that it will not last

as it is.

 

                                        Question 2______________________

2. PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

A. “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, / And sinks into my throat her

tiger’s tooth, / Stealing my breath of life, I will confess / I love this cultured hell

that tests my youth.” (Lines 1-4)

B. “Her vigor flows like tides into my blood, / Giving me strength erect against her

hate” (Lines 5-6)

C. “Yet, as a rebel fronts a king in state, / I stand within her walls with not a shred--

/ Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.” (Lines 8-10)

D. “Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, / And see her might and granite wonders

there” (Lines 11-12)

 

                                     Question 3_____________________________

 

3. PART A: In line 11, the word “darkly” is most likely used to convey which of the following?

A. The word “darkly” conveys the speaker has an overall cynical opinion of America.

B. The word “darkly” conveys the speaker’s general fear of time.

C. The word “darkly” conveys the speaker’s uncertainty about the future of

America.

D. The word “darkly” conveys that the speaker does not actually know anything

about America.

 

                                   Question 4_________________________________

4. PART B: Which of the following phrases supports the answer to Part A?

A. “I gaze into the days ahead” (Line 11)

B. “might and granite wonders” (Line 12)

C. “the Touch of Time’s unerring hand” (Line 13)

D. “priceless treasures sinking in the sand” (Line 14)

**************************************************************************

If there is time today, we will begin the graphic organizer as a class.

Open up a google document; copy and paste the following graphic organizer.

We will work on this in class on Friday. The completed organizer will be due by Sunday at noon.

America by Claude McKay

1. Although she feeds me bread of bitterness

1. What is being personified in line one and is referred to as “she”

 

2. Explain the metaphor “bread of bitterness”

After you have answered a and b

 

 

 

a. what is bread supposed to be for?

 

b. Is “bitterness” sweet or tart?

Now return to number 2.

And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth,

3. What does the visual imagery of a “tiger’s tooth tell us about the author’s feelings towards the city?

 

Stealing my breath of life, I will confess

4. Underline the word that LEAST reflects “stealing my breath of life”? 

 

smother,  choke,  asphyxiate,  inspiring

I love this cultured hell that tests my youth.

5. Think of the setting of the sonnet.

Explain “cultured hell”

 

 

 

5. Her vigor flows like tides into my blood,

6. vigor is power (think vigorous). Now think about what tides are like and explain the simile “like tides into my blood”

 

 

 

 

Giving me strength erect against her hate,

7. Who / what is the author accusing of hate?

 

Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood.

8. What might the author mean when speaking about “her bigness”?

 

 

9. Note the simile “like a flood”. Look back into line 5. What word indicates the power of a flood?   

I stand within her walls with not a shred

 

10. Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer.

10. Which word best defines

a.      terror:  dread   confidence   courage

b.      malice:  love     contempt      amity

c.       jeer:       cheer   applause       sneer

And see her might and granite wonders there

11. To what do “granite wonders” refer?

 

Beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand,

12. Why do you think “Time” is capitalized?

 

 

13.  What literary device is being used here?

 

 

14. To err means to make a mistake? What does “unerring” mean”?

 

Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand.

 

15. The sonnet ends with a smile (like), comparing “priceless treasures sinking in the sand.”

What is the author’s tone, which is the literary term for attitude, towards the city?

Answer this in a complete sentence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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