Claude+Mckay.

By Jake Harris



Claude Mckay was very influential on the Harlem Renaissance. He was born in 1889 in Jamaica. He was then taught englhish by his brother who had a collection of english works. By the age of twenty, Claude had publsihed his first book //Songs of Jamaica.// The book chronicalled his views of black life. He came to the U.S> in search of an education and found it, at Kansas State University. He studied agriculture there, then he traveled to Russia and France before settling in Harlem.

Two of his poems, "The Harlem Dancer" and "Invocation," were a good way to see the influence of black life in his own life. He used those poems to show prosecution and in turn show the life the blacks had been living. The poems used Claude's self expression in a way that many people can see. The poems hsow his like of the detailed life, seen by the body swaying in "the Harlem Dancer." He changed the way people look at blacks because he showed the world that blacks liked things that whites did as well.

THE HARLEM DANCER PPLAUDING youths laughed with young prostitutes And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway; Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes Blown by black players upon a picnic day. She sang and danced on gracefully and calm, The light gauze hanging loose about her form; To me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm Grown lovelier for passing through a storm. Upon her swarthy neck black, shiny curls Profusely fell; and, tossing coins in praise, The wine-flushed, bold-eyed boys, and even the girls, Devoured her with their eager, passionate gaze; But, looking at her falsely-smiling face I knew her self was not in that strange place.
 * // by: Claude McKay (1890-1948) //**

This poem has a very important meaing. The poem shows how mezmeriing a nice thing can be. It shows the attraction to something that can be amazing. The poem also comments on the lack of respect for black people, especially females. The poem shows that females are forced to put on a fake smile to please the crowd. In the second to last line, it shows that she does not want to be there.

The first line also shows that the crowd was innocent because of the fact that they were laughing. However, the youths innocence is corrupted by the very things they were laughing with; prostitutes. That shows that they are innocent to a point, but they are also guilty. That can be onnected the the H.R. because the whites were guilty of segregation. The dancer had to please the laughing crownd because that was her job. THey had to do what paid the bills, and if that meant plasing a crowd with her body, she would do that.

Claude McKay- Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More." //Poets.org - Poetry, Poems, Bios & More//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. []. "On "The Harlem Dancer" ." //Welcome to English « Department of English, College of LAS, University of Illinois//. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2011. [].