Personification In America By Claude Mckay

Claude McKay is a brilliant poet, whose words illustrate the struggles of black communities in America. Some of his most popular poems are about a black man living in America. In fact, “America” is arguably one of his most influential poems, speaking about the duality of the United States through the eyes of a black man. Claude McKay was a skilled poet who used many literary techniques to convey his deep-rooted messages in his poems. He uses specific techniques such as a sonnet structure in “America.” In addition, McKay’s most powerful literary technique is his use of metaphors. This is most clearly seen when McKay personifies America as a dualistic woman. Throughout this essay, I will explain, in detail, “America” by Claude McKay by focusing on McKay’s history, his use of literary techniques, then, specifically his use of metaphors and personification. …show more content…
In the early 1920’s, McKay focused his poems on exemplifying a black man surviving and living in America. In the poem, “America,” McKay speaks about the harsh conditions, which the black community lived. In this era, the Jim Crowe Laws were still in effect, segregating everything based on color in America. Any black individual, whether they were wealthy or poor faced the hardships of still being considered a lower class. Claude McKay wrote his poems to illustrate these burdensome times for black communities in America. Thus, Claude McKay became a focus point of the Harlem Renaissance because of his poems that depict the realities of being black and living in