Month: October 2019

Claude McKay’s poems Harlem Shadows and On Broadway in particular portray different aspects of life in New York City, and the writer’s own vision of urban life. The first poem, Harlem Shadows, is specifically about the neighborhood of Harlem as depicted at nighttime, where prostitutes can be seen. McKay writes rather bleakly about a “stern harsh world, that in the wretched way / Of poverty, dishonor and disgrace / Has pushed the timid little feet of clay”. The vision here is of an impoverished and one of the most desperate circumstances, that some of his own race in this neighborhood, are forced to live in. On Broadway paints a prettier picture of urban life in this city, using vivid visual terms to describe city lights and scenery, and the happy, lively crowd of city-goers. This poem does of course have a sad subtext – in spite of all the electricity and activity of New York City, the speaker’s ultimate and ever-present thought is that in the midst of city life, his heart is lonely.

Frost’s “Mending Wall” depicts the relationship between two neighbors. The narrator and his neighbor meet to repair the fencing wall between them, but the narrator does not believe there should be a wall there at all. The comedic and tragic aspects of the poem go hand in hand as the narrator tries to convince his neighbor that there are no wandering cows on either property, and there is no need for a wall between the two properties. The wall crumbles with the passing of time. Nature itself agrees with the narrator, who sees the wall as an unnecessary, cold barrier between two neighbors, neither of whom need to be walled in or walled out. Boulders crumble on either side, and the two men struggle to put them back and balance them in place. ‘Good fences make good neighbors,’ insists the neighbor, not really listening to the man who lives next door. The concept of building a wall for no reason (think of racism, segregation and immigration laws) is comedic in nature because many absurd walls, both physical and metaphorical, are taken too far by those who believe in them. It is tragic for the same reason. The wall represents distance and animosity between people, the opposite of goodwill and friendship. “Good fences make good neighbors” works for those who build walls to keep people out of their lives. The expression, like Frost’s poem, is comedic and tragic at the same time.

While “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes portrays a voice that expects no gifts and has no expectations, “Motto” portrays a voice that expects a quid pro quo relationship with effort. In “Mother to Son”, the “Mother” says “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair … But I’se been a-climbing on”. The Mother is explaining to her son that he should not be deterred by challenges he faces but rather fight to overcome them no matter the difficulty. On the other hand, “Motto” states, “Dig And Be Dug In Return” which suggests that actions should be done with the expectations of being reimbursed. The voice in “Motto” lacks the motivation of “Mother” who expects nothing but rather puts her head down and fights through her issues.

The relationship between the bird and nature signifies a passage of time more specifically, the changing seasons represent the stages of a person’s life. The poem being with spring which symbolizes babies and childhood. Like leaves that are growing in the spring, babies are also just beginning their lives and developing. Next, summer represents middle aged people and fall is about elderly years. Finally, winter is about death because he says, “The question that he frames in all but words Is what to make of a diminished thing.” This shows that although it may be hard to accept death, it is inevitable.

“When You Are Old Poem” is a love poem, but it is also about how age affected other people’s love of the woman the speaker refers to.  The poem describes the many reasons why people love this woman based on her looks.  It is revealed that the speaker looked passed her appearance even as she aged. Because this is a story of unrequited love the speaker is never loved back by the woman and believes that she will regret it as she gets older. Age is significant in this story because typically as people age their exterior deteriorates, therefore the one thing that the speaker claims to be why so many people loved this woman will disappear and it will be revealed that the speaker was the only person to see past that.

The bird in the poem serves a couple of functions, as far as I can tell. First, he calls attention to the changing of the seasons, with lines like the bird signaling “early petal-fall is past,” and thus calls attention to the passage of time. Therefore, one can say that the bird also represents death, perhaps man’s return to nature, or the relatively ephemeral nature of man’s life compared to the natural world. Second, the bird also calls attention to the truth of the natural world, how there is decay everywhere, with lines like “He says the highway dust is over all.” In that sense, he almost serves the same function as a poet would. Perhaps the bird and the poet are one and the same. Frost may be saying that, while signs of the passage of time may exist all around us, it takes someone with a keen eye to point it out, or someone with skill with words to make it noticeable. The bird’s singing is thus like poet’s words. They both complement and underscore the world all around them, as well as contribute their own viewpoint of the world.

There is Frost’s idea that the wall is unnecessary, along with the neighbors favor of having the wall.  We can see how repetitive the neighbor is when he keeps saying “Good genes make good neighbors”.  The way they go back and forth a little bit on their view of the wall is what’s comical.  However, it is tragic when the narrator comes to the realization that he can’t change his neighbors mind.  They didn’t see eye to eye, and it appeared as if it were to never reach that point.

In the short poem “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop, the poem starts off with the idea that losing simple items such as keys are easy, but then it ends with losing a person. On the exterior, it seems like Bishop doesn’t really care about her losses, but her vulnerable, inner self is revealed through her intricate words. When Bishop uses the words “master,” “faster,” and “disaster,” it gives a sense of buildup with each of her losses more impactful than the last. Furthermore, in Bishop’s other poem “In the Waiting Room,” Bishop shows the mind of a six year old girl who realizes that she’s growing up and has no control over it. Although this poem is more about coming of age, it still relates to the versions of ourselves. When the little girl opens the National Geographic, she sees adult images which could represent her transition into a woman and how she is gradually becoming a different, more mature version of herself. In both of these poems, Bishop integrates the depiction of an important female character in our lives such as the loved one and the aunt which could signify how these women shape us and affect our growth.

In his poems, Claude McKay addresses the difficulty that African Americans experience in their adjustment to the demeaning urban environment of America. In “Harlem Shadows,” McKay writes on the innocent “little dark girls” who have resorted to prostitution as a means of survival. McKay presents the sad situation of “the sacred brown feet” to suggest that the oppression and belittlement of his race has led to its downfall. Even in his poem “Subway Winds,” McKay contrasts the artificial world of urban life to the purity of his homeland to suggest that there is some deceiving quality to New York’s impression. The “sick and heavy air” of the Subways reminds McKay of the breeze from “palm trees blooming.” In drawing this connection to his homeland, McKay characterizes New York as a trap, for it captivates people with the hope for a better future, but instead, only spurs a memory and longing to return home.