The Harlem Renaissance
Years after World War I, lots of African Americans in the south migrated to the northern part of America because of the
depression in the south.
After migrating, new opportunities became available to African Americans in cities such as Chicago, New York, and HARLEM.
Harlem was mostly populated with African Americans... Poets such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Gwendolyn Brooks are poets that made
the Harlem Renaissance what it was.
depression in the south.
After migrating, new opportunities became available to African Americans in cities such as Chicago, New York, and HARLEM.
Harlem was mostly populated with African Americans... Poets such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Gwendolyn Brooks are poets that made
the Harlem Renaissance what it was.
"Hey, Black Child" by Countee Cullen
PoemHey Black Child
Do you know who you are Who you really are Do you know you can be What you want to be If you try to be What you can be Hey Black Child Do you know where you are going Where you're really going Do you know you can learn What you want to learn If you try to learn What you can learn Hey Black Child Do you know you are strong I mean really strong Do you know you can do What you want to do If you try to do What you can do Hey Black Child Be what you can be Learn what you must learn Do what you can do And tomorrow your nation Will be what you what it to be |
AnalysisHey, Black Child is a encouraging poem for the possibilities of young children in the Harlem renaissance era and all children for that matter, especially seeing that a black child's possibilities weren't made apparent at the time. Although it is very repetitive, it is powerful. It is a method of drilling this inside of children's heads by repeating this over and over. The messages that Cullen is sending goes by stanza. In the first stanza, it is a message of achievement explaining that you can achieve what you want wen you try. The second stanza gives the idea of education when you apply yourself. No one can control you because you are in control of your life. The third stanza is referring to the past by telling black children that they are strong because of the struggle for black people to be able to learn and to achieve things. The last stanza is referring to the future and is telling black children that basically life is what you make it and if you learn what you must learn and do what you must do, your nation will be what you want it to be.
Literary DevicesThe most obvious literary device is repetition. The other two Literary devices are Parallelism and Foreshadowing. At the end of the poem Countee Cullen is tell these black children that if they learn what they must learn do what they can, tomorrow (in the near future) your nation will be what you want it to be. Allusion also occurs in the poem by referring to the past and our ancestors.
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