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If We Must Die Claude Mckay Analysis

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Song and Poem Comparison Inequalities in society have caused a tremendous amount of problems in history. These issues are still relevant in present day 2015. The musician, Prince, crafted a song, named "Baltimore", about his view on the Baltimore Riots which took place earlier this year. This piece is very similar to a poem named "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay, a well-respected Harlem Renaissance artist. The poem "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay and the song "Baltimore" by Prince share a similar theme of standing up for what you believe in by the use of allusion, metaphor, and simile. "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay, and "Baltimore" by Prince, both express that one should stand for their beliefs, through allusion. McKay alludes to one of the most famous speeches ever given, The Emancipation Proclamation. The allusion to Abraham Lincoln's speech occurs when he says, "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 …show more content…

McKay uses metaphor to describe the violent and aggressive actions of the whites. In line 3, McKay says, "While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, Making their mock at our accursed lot." (McKay). He is fed up with the way they're acting in the section that is specifically segregated for blacks. He wants the blacks to stand up for themselves. Prince's use of metaphor is of a shameful tone. In the song "Baltimore", Prince says, "Nobody got in nobody's way" (Prince). He is metaphorically speaking about the whites and blacks in society. Nobody is getting in each other's way because of fear of one another. In "If We Must Die", McKay metaphorically refers to the whites as "monsters" for the way they treat blacks. Metaphors were essential in getting the point across in both pieces, which is to stand up for what you believe

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