https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks Claude McKay en-us 2022-02-28 18:18:45 UTC 2024-03-29 07:20:59 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f1fa-1f1f8.png amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070061659 Claude McKay’s depiction of African-Americans maintaining hope during turbulent times inspires his readers to fight for the American Dream. McKay’s poems talk about the weariness and struggles of African-Americans, which motivate them to overcome racism and find the beauty in America. 

]]> 2022-02-28 18:28:20 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070061659 amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070081849 In the poem “America”, Claude McKay’s dark experiences in America gave him strength to protest against racism. He describes how terribly America treats him, and how at the same time America gives him strength. On one hand he compares America to a “tiger” who sinks her tooth into his throat and to a “cultured hell”, while on the other hand he describes the tiger bite as giving him “vigor”, which gives him the strength to fight back. Likewise, he is not afraid of America and sees hope in it without “terror”, “malice”, and “jeer”. However, he sees that America is “sinking” in the future like “priceless treasures”. Ultimately, Claude McKay’s struggles motivate him to find the American Dream even though America itself is not perfect. 

]]> 2022-02-28 18:38:52 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070081849 amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070084536 In the poem “The Barrier”, Claude McKay describes his frustrating experiences of not being able to fall in love with someone of a different race, which shows the challenges of achieving the American Dream. He describes that he “must not gaze” and “must not watch” a beautiful person in his life, who is represented by “dawning day” and “sun-illumined way”. He describes their voice as a “fascinating note” which he is forbidden to hear. He then describes racism as the reason why he cannot encounter them because they are “fair” and he is “dark”. This racial barrier represents the barrier to the American Dream.

https://poets.org/poem/barrier

]]> 2022-02-28 18:40:15 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070084536 amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070086644 In “Spring in New Hampshire”, Claude McKay describes how being lower class and working all day prevents someone from enjoying the beauty in America, and therefore achieving the American Dream. Claude McKay describes how he cannot enjoy the “springing April grass”, the “laughing” winds, and the “leaping streams” because he has to waste his “golden hours indoors” working. He also describes that he is so “wearied” and “exhausted” in the evenings that he cannot enjoy the beautiful nights and the “gloriously bright” stars. The beauty of America represents the benefits of America which the narrator cannot enjoy because he is stuck working indoors. 

]]> 2022-02-28 18:41:20 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070086644 amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070139289 https://docs.google.com/document/d/14F9e4qsWcejjbt36_o8hy3HZP0FozcEV8LQiL4YsHTE/edit?usp=sharing

]]> 2022-02-28 19:08:54 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2070139289 amakod5715 https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2077231655 2022-03-04 03:48:04 UTC https://padlet.com/amakod5715/Bookmarks/wish/2077231655