Analysis Of The Poem America By Claude Mckay - 1399 Words

In the poem â€Å"America† penned by Claude McKay in 1921, the speaker explains that even though America seems to be sucking the life out of him, and hates him, he still loves the country as it plunges itself towards certain death. The 1920’s were a very exciting time but also full of struggles. The recent invention of the automobile and subsequent lack of paved roads are a good example of an excitement and struggle, these struggles and excitements could help us determine the meaning of McKay’s interpretation of America. He sites many examples and gives his thoughts about American society, like how it treats its citizens, how it acts, and its dismal future. So, what does this poem mean when you discuss the life of an average 1920’s American? McKay pointedly discusses and examines the radian inequality experienced by some American citizens during the twenties. Throughout the poem, McKay teeters back and forth between his intense positive and negative feelings of both America and the American way of life during this period, for example, his unexplainable love for the country versus the people’s racism which he personally encounters like when he says â€Å"l will confess/I love this cultured hell that tests my youth†(America,3,4). This was a very exciting time for many Americans as the roaring twenties were coming into full swing and society was celebrating the decade of carefree decadence, but there was a seedy dark side to America as well. For example, blacks in the South, where McKayShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poem America By Claude Mckay1223 Words   |  5 PagesThe seeds of racial tension in America have been consistently propagated throughout our nation’s contentious history. 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