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Personification In America By Claud Mckay

488 Words2 Pages

Is ist possible to hate something so much that you soon begin to love it? In the poem " America" written by Claud Mckay, Mckay does just that. McKay uses powerful words to express his feelings about America. In doing this Claude McKay uses literary elements such as personification, similes, and iron to discuss the love and hate he has for the country he lives in. McKay discusses the struggles of living in a country field with Kate. McKay have fun using the literary device personification. He almost use of personification in every line. He says " Although she feeds me bread of bitterness" .(line 1) In this line McKay uses words like "she" to refer to America. He give the country America human characteristics by saying "she feeds" or "her vigor flaws". ( line 5) perhaps McKay give America …show more content…

There are quite a few similes that McKay uses within this poem. "Her bigness sweeps my being like a flood". McKay uses the (line 8) words "like" and "sweeps" to compare how America destroys anything and everything that gets in her way just as a flood destroy and sweep away anything that gets in its way. He uses quotes like "stealing my breath of life.... giving me strength erect against her hate" to express that even though America is filled with hate and tries to slowly kill him, Americans still give him strength to keep living and rise above the hate. He uses this some leaves to give his audience of you on what America was like in the 1920s as an African American man. The last literary element that McKay uses its irony. "And she sinks into my throat hervtiger's teeth, stealing my breath of life... I love this cultured hell that test my youth."( Line 2-4) it is ironic how much I can love something that constantly trys to kill and destroy him. "I stand

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