Claude McKay’s ‘America’ and Allen Ginsberg’s poem of the same title are both ‘state of the nation’ poems. Which do you think offers the more effective critique of the United States, and why?
So, the Allen Ginsberg’s poem and Claude McKay song named America are pieces criticising the state of America in the times that they were written,1956 and 2015 respectively, in their respective times. The question that has been asked of us today is which of these two poems is a more effective critique of America in their time. Personally, I feel that Allen Ginsberg’s poem is a better medium for displaying its message for a couple of reasons; and will explain why in my answer here.
My first reason for believing that Allen Ginsberg’s America was the better …show more content…
I found out on poetry foundation.org that Mckay is a black man who felt oppressed in a turbulently racist America and while I can sympathise that racism is a terrible issue “His work ranged from vernacular verse celebrating peasant life in Jamaica to poems challenging white authority in America, and from generally straightforward tales of black life in both Jamaica and America” this clearly shows that most of his poetry is based on his perspective of growing up in a country that dosen’t always support people of his skin colour, now while as I previously stated ,I can obviously sympathise with this problem, I can also look at it from the view that this problem , while it is obviously rampant in America in this mans time we cannot sum up a whole country with just one problem ,and even though it is a positive and uplifting poem about how he can still love his country throughout this problem ,I feel as if Ginsberg’s poem focuses on all the problems that he feels affect America such as he describes in these quotes ,” America when will you be angelic? When will you take off your clothes? When will you look at yourself through the grave? When will you be worthy of your million Trotskyites? America why are your libraries full of tears? America when will you send your eggs to India? I'm sick of your insane demands. …show more content…
I also feel that many of the same issues do still affect America to this day and these are the reasons that I view America by Allen Ginsberg is a far better critique of America’s problems rather than Claude Mckay’s song
So, the Allen Ginsberg’s poem and Claude McKay song named America are pieces criticising the state of America in the times that they were written,1956 and 2015 respectively, in their respective times. The question that has been asked of us today is which of these two poems is a more effective critique of America in their time. Personally, I feel that Allen Ginsberg’s poem is a better medium for displaying its message for a couple of reasons; and will explain why in my answer here.
My first reason for believing that Allen Ginsberg’s America was the better …show more content…
I found out on poetry foundation.org that Mckay is a black man who felt oppressed in a turbulently racist America and while I can sympathise that racism is a terrible issue “His work ranged from vernacular verse celebrating peasant life in Jamaica to poems challenging white authority in America, and from generally straightforward tales of black life in both Jamaica and America” this clearly shows that most of his poetry is based on his perspective of growing up in a country that dosen’t always support people of his skin colour, now while as I previously stated ,I can obviously sympathise with this problem, I can also look at it from the view that this problem , while it is obviously rampant in America in this mans time we cannot sum up a whole country with just one problem ,and even though it is a positive and uplifting poem about how he can still love his country throughout this problem ,I feel as if Ginsberg’s poem focuses on all the problems that he feels affect America such as he describes in these quotes ,” America when will you be angelic? When will you take off your clothes? When will you look at yourself through the grave? When will you be worthy of your million Trotskyites? America why are your libraries full of tears? America when will you send your eggs to India? I'm sick of your insane demands. …show more content…
I also feel that many of the same issues do still affect America to this day and these are the reasons that I view America by Allen Ginsberg is a far better critique of America’s problems rather than Claude Mckay’s song