The Importance Of Empathy In Countee Cullen's Any Human To Another

In Countee Cullen’s Modern American poem “Any Human To Another,” Cullen reveals the importance of empathy as it brings mankind closer to one another. Cullen begins the poem by stating that his sorrows are “at not [him] alone,” which refers to how Cullen’s belief that he should share his troubles with others in order to ensure that others can learn how to empathize and feel connected. The sorrows being shared “pierce to the marrow,” which suggests that the pain can be felt and shared with others disregarding physical appearance to the point where the sorrows pierce straight to the core of a human ignoring the physical differences they share. As Cullen continues, he explains how “your grief and mine must intertwine,” which refers to Cullen’s belief that people must empathize in order to feel closer each there as humans and how people must treat other’s sorrows as their own. Cullen continues describing the intertwining of grief as “fused… yet subgle” to suggest that people are capable of connecting with others while

Cullen ends by staying that his sorrow should be worn on other’s head “like a crown,” which refers to how Cullen believes that empathizing with others is a noble act to the extent that the person wears it as a crown to boast their ability to connect with mankind of a deeper and emotional level. Cullen uses a reflective tone in the poem to inspire others to reflect on themselves and their ability to empathize with the people around them. The poem follows a rhythmic scheme due to Cullen’s use of rhyme between every other line. The form of the poem is traditional due to Cullen’s use of stanzas and rhyme to portray his feelings about