Quiz, The Great Gatsby Chapters 4-6.
English
11—Harlem Renaissance Poetry Analysis
You may work with a partner to complete this assignment. Turn in your work at the end of the hour.
Read the introduction to the Harlem Renaissance on pp.
816-7. Follow this up by reading the five
poems beginning on p. 819 by Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes.
1. Explain
where Cullen and Hughes have each included issues or topics unique to African
Americans in the 1920s. Sample
issues/topics to look for:
a. Racism
b. African
American culture (jazz music, traditional African American religious hymns,
Biblical stories, famous African Americans)
c. African
American history, especially slavery
d. City life
2. For three
of the five poems, find examples of the following poetic techniques. The more examples you can find, the better.
a. Alliteration
b. Rhyme
scheme or internal rhyme
c. Repetition
d. Symbolism
or imagery
e. Figures of
speech (simile, metaphor, personification, onomatopoeia)
3. Read “I
Hear America Singing” on p. 364 of the textbook. Look at “I, Too” below. Explain what Hughes is saying in his response
to Whitman.
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed--
I, too, am America.
No comments:
Post a Comment