Claude McKay

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The poet

Claude McKay was born in Jamaica in 1889 and he played an important and prominent role in renaissance. When he was 9 years, he left to live with his older brother to get proper education. He became a reader of poetry and English literature. He started writing poetry when he was 9. He was highly educated by his brother. When the world war had ended, its end was a signal for series of wars and revolts between the white and black folks, between the labors and the capitals. At that time, McKay decided to write this sonnet of " If we must die".

Summary

 The poet starts his poem describing his allies and himself who were under attack and about to die. He asks his friends not to die like inferior animals which are subjected to hunting and killing. He is referring to the African Americans trying to motivate them to rise from their discrimination and oppression and protest against those who are persecuting them. Then he describes their enemies referring to white Americans at that time to be like hungry dogs who are violent and oppressive that they want to kill the African Americans. In the second quatrain, McKay goes on calling these exploited races not to live cowardly but rather, he keeps encouraging them to meet death in the noblest way and this in turn will force their enemies to respect them for their honorable death. In the third quatrain, the poet re-tries to encourage them to die like men, they should fight honorably. He seems to be sure that they are going to die because their enemies are outnumbered of them. Although it is very hard to be outnumbered of enemies, you must show bravery and courage and they should not surrender or give up. As for the final couplet, it is different here because he described them like men not like hogs as in the first quatrain because it shows their resignation and he wants them to fight back their oppressors so if they must die, they must die honorably and as brave men not like hogs.

Title

The repetition of the phrase "if we must die", reflects the inevitability of death and it shows blacks' determination to fight and achieve their goals even if it costs their lives.

Contrast

The contrast here in this poem represents in the two contracted images of coward people who die like hogs and on the other hand, brave people who fight and die honorably and nobly even their enemies will respect and appreciate their courage.

Themes

Theme of this sonnet represent in courage, motivation and dignity. The poet motivates them to have courage by which they will have dignity in their lives or an honorable death.

Climax

The poem reaches here its climax by portraying visual image in which oppressors are compared to monsters which would glorify forcely and respect African Americans even after their death for fighting honorably.

Many critics believed that this poem was dedicated to specific race to be written in favor of African Americans while some of them regarded it as  public sonnet for all persecuted people ad they (critics) justify their opinion that McKay did not mention intentionally any word about his race. During that time, they were free but they are still discriminated and many movements called for rights of African Americans.

McKay motivates the weak people to rise from their discrimination and oppression and protest against those who are persecuting them. He is comparing the black race as if they were inferior animals who are prisoned and killed in a bad way.

His use of his image, because they must protest against their oppressors.

Technical analysis

Rhyme scheme

This sonnet is written in the English rhyme scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.  

Meter

This poem is written in Iambic pentameter. Iambic because it consists of unstressed syllable followed by stressed one. It is Pentameter because it consists of five feet.