If We Must Die
If we must die, let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
-Claude McKay
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursèd lot.
If we must die, O let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
O kinsmen! we must meet the common foe!
Though far outnumbered let us show us brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!
-Claude McKay
Our poems are very different in topics. Both our our author's wrote from their true feelings. Your poem is a lot more serious than the one I picked. Mine just boasts the city of Chicago and has a positive attitude while yours is about not dying like cowards with a depressing attitude. Your poem has a rhyme scheme while mine is a free verse poem. They are very different.
ReplyDeleteOur poems are different because they take place during different times, and talk about different things. Your poem talks about the African Americans fighting back against a world that does not believe in their equality. You described it as "fiery," which contrasts from my short story about a little girl who goes through depression. I enjoyed your in depth description of this kind of modernism writing.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have to say that I absolutely loved your presentation and it's the best one I've seen so far!:)) so cool!
Our poems are totally different in themes and ideas and basically everything. My poem is about despair and loss and alienation, and yours has nothing to do with any of those. You did a really good job presenting your poem!
ReplyDeleteAwesome job presenting the information our poems are different in the way that your is all about fighting back against the other power where as my poem is about knowing your place compared to the power of Jesus and how everyone compared to him is equal.
ReplyDeleteOur poems are a lot different, but they both deal with optimism in despair. They are different because this is the Harlem Renaissance and it is written about black unity, while my story was about a boy becoming rich and never being happy.
ReplyDeleteMy poem also covered the Harlem Renaissance and the struggles that the African Americans endured. "If We Must Die" appeals to me because I am always a fan of the underdog. The African Americans were outnumbered with less power, but the fought back at all costs.
ReplyDeleteThe short story that I have chosen was very different than yours. The poem that you chose was from the Renaissance and the story I chose was during the Depression. Both of our stories had a negative feeling, so they were also similar in that element.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your video was REALLY good! Very creative idea and well executed! (:
The similarities between our poems is that the words have a lot of power. Mine is about being so admiration towards a woman and yours is getting people to listen about the inequality. The difference between our poems is that racism is present and gives a negative mood to the poem. The thing that stood out to me the most is that the black are incorporated in the story and they get to speak up for once which was frowned upon in past time periods.
ReplyDeleteOur stories were similar because mine also talked about discrimination and inequality. But they were different, because mine was more about inequality between social classes instead of race.
ReplyDelete(ps I liked your video)
This poem is very different than my short story. Your poem talks of having hope. The main character of my short story was full of despair and gave no thought to changing here situation. The thing that stuck with me from your poem was that the author knew we couldn't change the fact that we would die, but he did know we could change how we got to death.
ReplyDeleteOur poems were different because mine talked about a little girl remembering being called a name and that was the only thing she remembered. So she was alienated by another person which was not like yours. The thing that stuck out to me was how courageous the author was during his time period by watching this poem that he wrote. Because for African Americans, it was not a good time.
ReplyDeleteOur poems were very different in a sense of history. Yours had a lot to do with the African Americans and their struggle during that time in history and when the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing. My was a simple story about the everyday life of people in a little town. I feel that the history incorporated into the poem makes it that much more interesting to read about.
ReplyDeleteOur poems were different because mine did not deal with African American prejudice.
ReplyDelete