Author
Claude McKay was born in ____ .
What is Jamaica?
What is implied by the title?
Conveys interdisciplinary nature
Sets stage for contrast between tropical setting and urban NY setting
Anticipate cultural differences between Jamaica and NY
The animal that the author says is "biting into his neck."
What is a tiger?
Theme of "Tropics of NY"
Nostalgia, adaptation, and adjustment to a new location
Meaning of ripe fruits in "Tropics in NY"
Serves as a symbol of beautiful sights of nature outside and the various experiences of life that make life happy and a fulfilling experience to live
McKay was involved in this organization.
What is Universal Negro Improvement Association?
How can the reader realize that the setting of the poem is likely in Jamaica?
Fruits, parish fair
Paraphrase the poem.
Narrator has a love/hate relationship with America as it is hateful but has ideals of strength
America is personified as a she throughout the poem
Theme of "America"
Contradictory emotions associated with heritage, legacy, patriotism, etc.
What kind of figurative language is the tiger in "America" and what is it meant to show?
A primary theme of all of his work is ____ .
What is the Black experience?
How is the extreme sense of nostalgia conveyed in the poem?
speaker's vision is clouded as a result of overwhelming emotions
Is the speaker afraid in America?
No, "stand within her walls with not a shred Of terror, malice, not a word of jeer."
How does "America" echo the sentiments of the Harlem Renaissance?
“The best of humanity's recorded history is a creative balance between horrors endured and victories achieved, and so it was during the Harlem Renaissance.”
― Aberjhani, Journey through the Power of the Rainbow: Quotations from a Life Made Out of Poetry
Potential reasoning for the personification of America as a female
(Sample Answer) Women are stereotypically portrayed as moody.
McKay was associated with this movement.
What is Harlem Renaissance?
Why is the "Tropics in NY" considered a poem that discusses the Black Experience?
Addresses the emotional impact of being separated from one's roots and struggling with a cultural identity
The author is a rebel fronting a king with "not a shred" of these three abstract nouns (i.e, joy is an abstract noun).
What is terror, malice, and jeer?
How does "Tropics in NY" echo the ideals of the Harlem Renaissance?
Emphasizes the individual and diversity among black cultures (critical message of the time)
What is the tone of "America"?
Shifts from bitter + resentful to reluctant admiration