“America” by Claude McKay is a poem published in 1921, which examines the themes of love and hate towards America within the black community. “America” is a wonderful literary work, which uses symbolic imagery and means of meter and rhyme in order to express the duality of the writer's feelings towards the oppressive and hypocritical American society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay “America” is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet and consists of 14 lines. By calling America "her", McKay uses the means of personification and presents the country as a living being. The poem's rhyme scheme also reminds readers of the style of William Shakespeare (abab, cdcd, efef, gg) and is used to reflect the duality of the author's feelings toward America. The writer states, for example, that even if his country gives him “bread of bitterness” and tries to suffocate him by shoving its “tiger tooth” down his throat, he still has warm feelings for him. Additionally, the author uses iambic pentameter in order to give meaning to the rhythm of the poem. The first quatrain of the poem describes the discord within the writer's soul. Claude McKay says that, even though he loves his country, these feelings make him suffer because America is stealing his "breath of life." In the writer's eyes, America is a vampire that feeds on his veins for nourishment. McKay also compares the country to a wild tiger: “And sinks his tiger’s tooth into my throat.” The author's intuition tells him that the exotic nature of the tiger reflects America's multicultural society. Additionally, the stripes on the animal's back symbolize the stripes of the American flag. By making this comparison, McKay emphasizes that America is a deadly predator that uses the most inhumane methods to torture the black community. The second part of the poem, consisting of lines 5 to 10, provides further insight into the author's attitude. feelings towards America. McKay compares the country to a giant river or even a sea, saying that America's "vigor runs like tides" through its veins and it washes away "like a flood." The writer emphasizes that the country overwhelms him, giving him strength and inspiration, even despite his violent attitude towards him and other blacks: "Giving me the strength to resist his hatred." However, even though the author describes America in a positive light, he tries to contain his affection for the country and chooses neutral words like, for example, "greatness" instead of "splendor." In lines 8-10, the writer alludes to the hypocrisy of American society, suggesting that America has more similarities with monarchical governments than with democratic states. The poem's final quatrain introduces readers to the writer's predictions about America's future. the country. McKay begins this section with the words "I look darkly toward the days to come," suggesting that America's future is going to be bleak. The writer knows that every empire is doomed to fall and declares that the hands of time will eventually strike the country and bury it deep under the sand. Claude McKay intentionally places the words “sink in the sand” at the end of the poem in order to show the plight of America. The author emphasizes that, despite its brilliance and greatness, America will be destroyed and ultimately forgotten. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay All things considered, “America” is a complex poem, which uses literary devices such as meter, rhyme, and symbols in order to convey the.