During our lifetime, we will go through many emotions. These emotions can range from anger, fear, sadness, or guilt. But one of the deepest emotions a person can feel during their life is love and hate. On paper, these emotions seem to be polar opposites since one is associated with attachment and intimacy and the other with hatred and contempt. However, upon further analysis, you may find that these emotions can have striking similarities. For example, these two emotions can push a man or woman to extremes – so extreme, in fact, that many have killed in the name of love and hate. Therefore, although these emotions are very different in terms of the connotations in which they serve, the depth and breadth of these emotions are strikingly similar. In the poem “America” by Claude McKay, we are subjected to both of these emotions in a poem full of division and a lasting statement on society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay This play is a "Shakespearean" sonnet that consists of fourteen standard lines and is composed of three quatrains and a couplet featuring the traditional ABABCDCDEFGG. rhyme scheme. The structure is divided into two main stanzas, the first stanza describes McKay's feelings towards America and the second stanza shows his feeling of acceptance towards the reader. Throughout the poem, McKay goes back and forth between his positive and negative feelings about America and American social norms of the time. This poem was published in the 1920s, specifically in 1921. It was a very exciting time for Americans because it was a time of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural twist, but America also had a dark underbelly to the era. In the South, where McKay resided after immigrating from Jamacia, blacks were heavily discriminated against and had their rights limited due to Jim Crow laws. This bitter division of mixed emotions, which was a prevalent attitude among black people at the time, is a recurring theme throughout the poem. McKay begins to express his contempt for America in the first quatrain; however, he then also expresses his dependence on the country. When McKay says, "Though she gives me bread of bitterness" (1), he is telling us that he depends on America to feed him as if he were a child dependent on his mother. You will also realize that he refers to America as "she" (1), further noting the idea that he depends on the country like a child depends on its mother. This also leads us to believe that America is the source of its supply, even if the food provided is bitter. McKay then felt like America was sucking the life out of him, as he clearly puts it: "its tiger's tooth is sinking into my throat, stealing my breath of life, I will admit" ( 2-3). This shows us how the unequal treatment of black people slows the exhaustion of McKay's spirit of life. It also shows us the metaphor McKay uses to highlight American violence: “the tiger’s tooth” (2). He challenges his own conception of the nation by comparing America to an exotic, foreign animal. Moving on, McKay hits us with something we didn't expect. "...I must admit, I love this cultural hell that puts my youth to the test!" (3-4) Although Mckay begins the poem with many negative feelings towards America and American society, he then ironically expresses his positive feelings in this line.This is the first piece of evidence that McKay used to express his mixed feelings throughout the poem. However, even in this line, McKay uses the phrase "cultured hell" (4), which indicates that even through positivity, there will always be a negative further proving the point of division. It seems, however, that McKay appreciated the difficulties that American society imposed on him at that time. "I like this a cultural hell that tests my youth! As we continue, the second quatrain evolves into more positive thinking, seemingly leading us to see some of the reasons why McKay, in fact, has positive feelings towards the America. “Its vigor flows like tides through my blood, giving me the strength to resist its hatred” (5-6) indicate that the strength of the expanding country was the energy that fueled it. life of McKay The most interesting part of this sentence is the insurrection the speaker brings out in the face of the confrontational nature of this poem. As McKay boldly proclaims that America is the source of his strength, he rebels. against the provider of this force and harnesses it to confront the racial hatred that was common throughout this period in America Although McKay stands firmly against intolerance and injustice in America, he appears to have the. feeling that one's personal position may be insignificant in the larger picture of the fight for equality. “His greatness sweeps over my being like a flood” (7). It is not possible for a single person to withstand the powerful and rapid waters of a flood because they sweep over the earth. Perhaps McKay is expressing the uselessness of a single person standing alone against a nation's intolerant history. However, just because the speaker is alone in uselessness does not prevent him from taking this position. “Yet as a rebel confronts a state king, I stand by his walls without a trace of terror, of malice, not a word of mockery” (8-10). Nothing good usually comes from a person who has to stand before a king. Typically, once this happens, it is likely because the king has pronounced or carried out a judicial sentence. This is another example from the poem where McKay distorts the perceived American social norm and leads the reader down another path less traveled. McKay stands confidently in the face of the racist ideals that society has made normal, just as a rebel would stand proudly before the king. It should be noted that it is the reaction of the “king” which breaks down the expected barrier in the interaction between the two. He does not back down, strike, or shout malicious words at the people around him. The “rebel” stands without fear before the king within his walls, for there will be no consequences and he will be protected by the law. This is yet another metaphor to show the division of the American ideal and also the reality that existed in America at the time. Freedom of expression is an inalienable right guaranteed by the First Amendment to the Constitution. Therefore, McKay can confidently stand before the American people because he knows that everything he says will be protected by the law. However, many people in society, especially in the South, did not believe in the ideals of "the King" and aroused hatred and hostility against McKay due to his position, despite the King's orders. Actions like these can be seen in places where discrimination and racism were rampant throughout society, despite the government stating that all men were created equal and should have equal rights under the law. Keep in mind: This is just a sample. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a.