Claude McKay was a poet of Jamaican descent who took one of the leading roles in the Harlem Renaissance. The author of The Harlem dancer delves into the character of a nightclub dancer, focusing on the girl’s feelings. The poet characterizes the performer’s face as “falsely-smiling” in the final lines and claims that “her self was not in that strange place” (McKay, 1922b, line 13). Thus, this indicates that the dancer wanted to be somewhere else and that her performance is just her work. The last part of The lynching McKay portrays the morning following the execution when “mixed crowds” arrive to see the murder scene (McKay, 1922a, line 9). McKay concludes by depicting the children, describing them as fiendish, implying that the act serves as an initiation process that would assure the continuation of hanging for generations to follow.
As for the comparison of Claude McKay with other poets, Langston Hughes is by far McKay’s opposite. The difference between the two poets is not only the writing style but also the messages both convey. Claude McKay’s sonnets are confused about one’s identity and aggression towards societal issues. For example, it can be seen from the above-mentioned poems. On the other hand, Langston Hughes, in his verse The Negro speaks of rivers, encompasses the essence of his race, its nature, stating that his “soul has grown deep like the rivers” (Langston, 1920, line 3). The author does not compare races but stresses pride in his heritage.
Thus, Claude McKay’s poems are filled with sentiments that tend to compare races and illuminate the issues of society. In the poems discussed above, the poet discusses doomed generations and the desperation of individuals. When comparing McKay with another poet, it is evident that while McKay stresses the identity crisis and racial problems, Langston Hughes illuminates his heritage, paying tribute to his people and history.
References
Langston, H. (1920). The Negro speaks of rivers. Poetry Foundation.
McKay, C. (1922a). The lynching. Poetry Foundation.
McKay, C. (1922b). The harlem dancer. Academy of American Poets.