Literary%20Qualities

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Literary Qualities

• By Jessie Stadt
• Thomas Brophy
• Billy Coleman

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Countee Cullen

• Born 1903 in Kentucky, then moved into the middle
  of the Harlem Renaissance
• If I am going to be a poet at all, I am going to
  be a Poet and not a Negro Poet Brooklyn Daily
  Eagle 1924

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Tableau

• Locked arm in arm they cross the wayThe black
  boy and the white,The golden splendor of the
  dayThe sable pride of night.From lowered
  blinds the dark folk stareAnd here the fair folk
  talk,Indignant that these two should dareIn
  unison to walk.Oblivious to look and wordThey
  pass, and see no wonderThat lightning brilliant
  as a swordShould blaze the path of thunder.

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Tableau

• Was written by Countee Cullen.
• Stanza one shows the contrast between the black
  and white races
• As the boys walk down the street the adults watch
  them in shock and disgust.
• He boys dont realize what their doing is
  abnormal.
• Lightning brilliant as a sword
• Generational Change.

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Claude McKay

• Wrote The Lynching
• Published by editor Frank Harris
• Work in New York City
• Life after WWI

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The Lynching

• His spirit in smoke ascended to high heaven.
• His father, by the cruelest was of pain,
• Had bidden him to his bosom once again
• The awful sin remained still unforgiven.
• All night a bright and solitary star
• (Perchance the one that ever guided him,
• Yet gave him up at last to fates wild whim)
• Hung pitifully oer the swinging char.
• Day, dawn, and soon the mixed crowds came to view
• The ghastly body swaying in the sun
• The women thronged to look, but never a one
• Showed sorrow in her eyes of steely blue
• And little lads, lynchers that were to be,
• Danced around the dreadful thing in fiendish
  glee.

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The Lynching-Claude McKay

• smoke ascended to high heaven
• Connection to Jesus
• Bright and solitary star, gave him up to
  Fates wild whim
• Women have eyes of steely blue
• Children are described as dancing with fiendish
  glee

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Qualities of Harlem Renaissance Writings

• Identification with the Black race
• most of the cultural ideas during this time
  period related to what African-American dealing
  with.
• Militant proud spirit
• Many African-Americans were angered about how
  they were being treated during the Harlem
  renaissance which led to groups to lash out with
  writing and created a spirit of unity.

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• Anger at Racism
• People were angered at the way race was
  determining how they were treated.
• Determination to fight Oppression
• Both of the world wars made people want freedom
  against oppressive governments
• Rejection of White Culture
• African-Americans anger toward whites made them
  not want to conform to white culture

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• Attempt to Reconstruct an invisible heritage
• Their culture, language, beliefs were taken from
  them during slavery and now they had the chance
  to rebuild it.

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Subjects and Thematic Topics

• Lynching
• This was the murder of a person for no apparent
  reason. Most of the community supported it,
  therefore there was no report of it.
• Prejudice
• The rejection of a person because of race,
  ethnicity, or background

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• Stereotyping
• The generalization of a group based on a few
  individuals actions
• White Culture Imperialism
• This is the forcing of white beliefs onto
  everyone
• Assertion of Rights
• African-Americans of the time started to fight
  for their civil rights by speaking out more
  frequently and beginning to organize.

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• Beauty of their color
• African-Americans of the time wanted to show that
  black was not necessarily evil by adding elements
  in their writing that made darkness a beautiful
  or nice thing to have.
• Strength of African ancestors/ Black culture
• Their ancestors went through slavery and
  hardships which made them stronger as a people.

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Citations

• Cohassey, John. Claude McKay. 6. Detroit,
  United States Gale Research Inc., 1994.
• Cohassey, John. Countee Cullen. 8. Detroit,
  United States Gale Research Inc., 1994.