Claude McKay

"When Dawn Comes to the City" contrasts the monotony of urban work life with the vibrancy of rural leisure. The city is depicted through "grumbling" and "moaning" vehicles and "cold" tenements,...

Claude McKay's poem "America" reflects his complex relationship with the country, expressing both admiration and critique. He acknowledges America's strength and vitality while also condemning its...

In McKay's "America," the "granite wonders" symbolize the nation's might and strength, reflected through imagery like "tiger's tooth" and "bigness." These structures, such as skyscrapers and...

"The Lynching" is an Italian sonnet divided into two parts: the octave and the sestet. The octave presents the body of a black man who has been lynched; he has been hanged and burned, though his soul...

In his sonnet "To Winter," Clause McKay apostrophizes Winter, asking it to stay. He then describes and explains his unusual antipathy to the coming of Spring.

Claude McKay's sonnet "Outcast" adheres to the English sonnet format, consisting of 14 lines divided into three quatrains and a rhyming couplet. Each quatrain explores themes of African heritage,...

The form of Hughes' best known poetry can be characterized as "open," whereas the form of McKay's best known poetry can be characterized as "closed." The language of Hughes tends to be more familiar...

Claude McKay uses juxtaposition in "America" to contrast conflicting elements, such as the "bread of bitterness" and the violent image of a "tiger's tooth." He portrays strength against hate,...

The title "The Tropics of New York" highlights the contrast between the speaker's Caribbean homeland and life in New York. It signifies how tropical fruits, once central to Caribbean culture, are...

Both writers celebrate and criticize the city (in these poems) in ways that are consistent with their respective temperaments.