Brainy Quote By Countee Cullen

“There is no secret to success except hard work and getting something indefinable which we call 'the breaks.' In order for a writer to succeed, I suggest three things - read and write - and wait” (qtd. in “Brainy Quote”). Countee Cullen’s reasons for writing were greatly instigated by previous daunting occurrences during his lifetime-- whether it be because of the death of close family members, or the racial interrogation he faced during the Harlem Renaissance. However, he was capable of persevering through these challenges through his construction of poetry, which was a rather rare style for a typical black man. “Incident”, Cullen’s most famous poem, serves as a prime example for how he so successfully endured through such complications while …show more content…
Following Cullen’s secondary education, he chose to attend New York University, where he graduated Phi Betta Kappa in 1925. During his time at New York University, he was awarded the Witter Byner Poetry Prize, a distinction given annually to two or more poets chosen by the Poet Laurate Consultant in Poetry. Not only was he awarded the Witter Byner Poetry Prize, but he was also awarded the Amy Spingarn Award, second prize in Opportunity Magazine’s first poetry contest, and second prize in Palms; he was also the second African-American to win the Guggenheim Fellowship. Following graduation at New York University, Countee Cullen aimed to earn his master’s degree at Harvard University. As 1927 approached, he had fulfilled his goal, excelling to obtain his certificate in French and English. Another significant achievement for Cullen was the release of his debut volume of poetry, Color. In 1926, Countee Cullen graduated from Harvard University with his master’s degree and joined the staff of Opportunity Magazine, editing and penning the column of “Dark Tower”, a review of works from …show more content…
He had strong intentions to write “Incident” in ballad form, an extremely old form of poetry. Ballad form consists of meter, rhyme, and stanzas. Ballad meter alternates lines of iambic tetrameter (a line consisting of four iambs) with lines of iambic trimeter (a line consisting of three iambs). “Once riding in old Baltimore / Heart-filled, head-filled with glee” (Cullen 1-2). Rhyme structure is substituted between the second and fourth lines. “From May until December… That’s all that I remember” (Cullen 10-12). Lastly, stanzas are organized into quatrains, meaning that each stanza has four lines. The importance behind writing “Incident” in ballad form is to combine an old writing style with a contemporary topic-- racism. Through doing so, he connects a deep history of the ballad with the issues and concerns of his personal experience in history. Cullen also connects the past, where racism is prevalent, with the speaker’s present, where segregation is horrific and seen more as unfair. In this sense, ignorance and hatred might not have been so evident in the past after all. Countee Cullen’s writing scheme is straightforward and direct because he does not use metaphors or fancy diction. The speaker is articulate and speaks clearly and directly in order to create the