"America" ​​by Claude McKay is a poem published in 1921, which examines the themes of love and hate towards America within the black community. 'America' is a wonderful piece of literature, which uses symbolic imagery and means of meter and rhyme to express the duality of the writer's feelings towards the oppressive and hypocritical American society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay "America" ​​is written in the form of a Shakespearean sonnet and consists of 14 lines. By calling America “she,” McKay makes use of the means of personification and presents the country as a living being. The poem's rhyme scheme also reminds readers of William Shakespeare's style (abab, cdcd, efef, gg) and is used to reflect the duality of the author's feelings towards America. The writer, for example, claims that although his country gives him "bitter bread" and tries to suffocate him by thrusting its "tiger's tooth" down his throat, he still has fond feelings for it. Additionally, the author uses iambic pentameter to give a sense of rhythm to the poem. The first quatrain of the poem describes the discord in the writer's soul. Claude McKay states that although he loves his country, these feelings cause him pain because America steals his "breath of life". In the eyes of the writer, America is a vampire that feeds on its veins to sustain itself. McKay also compares the country to a wild tiger: "And he sinks his tiger tooth into my throat." The author's intuition tells him that the exotic nature of the tiger reflects America's multicultural society. In addition, the stripes on the animal's back symbolize the stripes of the American flag. By making this comparison, McKay points out that America is a deadly predator that uses the most inhumane methods to torture the black community. The second part of the poem, which consists of lines 5-10, provides further insight into the author's feelings toward America. McKay compares the country to a gigantic river or even a sea, saying that America's "vigour flows like tides" through its veins and that it overwhelms it "like a flood." The writer emphasizes that the country overwhelms him, giving him strength and inspiration, despite its violent attitude towards him and other blacks: "Giving me standing strength against his hatred." However, although the author describes America in a positive light, he tries to restrain his affection for the country and chooses neutral words such as, for example, 'greatness' instead of 'splendour'. In lines 8-10, the writer hints at the hypocrisy of American society, suggesting that America has more similarities to monarchical governments than democratic states. The final quatrain of the poem introduces readers to the writer's predictions about the future of the country. McKay begins this section with the words “I look darkly at the days ahead,” suggesting that America's future will be bleak. The writer knows that every empire is destined to fall and states that the hands of time will eventually strike the country and bury it deep under the sand. Claude McKay intentionally places the words “sinking in the sand” at the end of the poem to show the fate of America. The author points out that, despite its splendor and greatness, America will be destroyed and ultimately forgotten. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay All things considered, "America" ​​is a complex poem, using literary devices such as meter, rhyme, and symbols to convey the author's ambivalent feelings toward America and its society. In this poem Claude Mckay.