The 19th century sparked an era of expression in America. During this period, the dissemination and interpretations of literature, music, stage performances, and art flourished, particularly in black communities across the country. For this reason, young black poets like Claude McKay and Gwendolyn Brooks used their literary talents to shine a light on the oppression constantly present around them. Both authors embody the writing style of Shakespeare, who writes compelling poetry that challenges the social narrative of the time. By comparing Claude McKay's "If We Must Die" and Gwendolyn Brooks' "Piano After War," readers can understand how African Americans struggled to adapt to the severe racism that reigned in America in the 1990s. 1900. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Jamaican poet and novelist Claude McKay was one of the most influential black authors of the early 1900s. Raised in Jamaica, McKay's racial pride and sense of his African heritage were instilled in him from his younger age and manifested themselves in his works many years later. Local educated men helped McKay study British masters, romantics, and European philosophers. These men advised the aspiring poet McKay to stop imitating English poets and start producing verses in Jamaican dialect. He was educated in America at Tuskegee Institute (1912) and Kansas State Teachers College. In 1914, he left school altogether for New York, where he faced racism, forcing him to continue writing poetry. After only knowing traditionalism in Jamaica, the shock of American racism changed his perspective. In his poetry, McKay wrote both about the simple lives of peasants in Jamaica and poems questioning the racist structure of authority in America. Throughout his career, communists attacked MacKay for his refusal to adopt their beliefs and white and black liberals for his criticism of integrationist-oriented civil rights groups. Despite this opposition, McKay remained an advocate for full civil liberties and racial solidarity. The publication of "Spring in New Hampshire" (1920) and "Harlem Shadows" (1922) allowed McKay to emerge as the first and most active voice of the Harlem Renaissance – a golden age of social and cultural culture. African-American artistic at the beginning. 20th century. After a few years working in New York, McKay became friends with Max Eastman, a communist sympathizer and editor of Liberator magazine. McKay published poems in Eastman magazine, including "If We Must Die," known for defending black rights and threatening retaliation for discrimination and abuse. “If We Must Die” takes the form of a Shakespearean sonnet. The old-fashioned form of the poem is elegant and refined, an attempt to bring the prestige of the Middle Ages to a desperate and dark fight for justice. Using alliteration, the Shakespearean rhyme scheme, and meter, the poem calls for political resistance. Calling on oppressed minorities to violently and courageously resist their oppressors, McKay insists that they must try to achieve respect and equality, even if they die in the process. As a result, the poem has served as an inspiration to a wide variety of oppressed people across the world as they fight for their rights and freedom. McKay achieves this by writing in a desperate voice, speaking to a group of oppressed people. Because they face death, the speakerasserts that the group must not die “like pigs”. This reveals the speaker's fear that the group will be massacred or hunted down, allowing those who remain to be stripped of their humanity. An alternative interpretation concludes that he doesn't want these people to die for nothing. Pigs are slaughtered all the time. With this analogy, he could say that he wants their deaths to have a purpose. In later lines, he calls on them to fight back despite their “numerical inferiority”. In the last two lines, he anticipates their defeat, but constantly encourages them to fight the “murderous and cowardly pack”. The poem makes no clear accusation of racial discrimination. This is why he is widely known as a source of inspiration for persecuted people across the world. It highlights Americans' innate desire to resist oppression while expressing the will of oppressed people of all ages who fight with their backs to the wall to win their freedom. Chicago native Gwendolyn Brooks was another of the most notable African American figures. 20th century authors. According to DH Melhem, his father was a janitor who hoped to become a doctor; his mother was a schoolteacher and classically trained pianist. The creative atmosphere supported their daughter's passion for reading and writing. Her works depict the daily lives of urban black people from 1917 to 2000. Her early works focused on the challenges of women facing racism in America, but she later depicted male soldiers returning from war. Brooks' later work addressed politics more openly, displaying what National Observer contributor Bruce Cook called "an intense awareness of color and justice issues." For all of her projects, she has embraced the unique perspectives of those around her. Describing his own style as a type of folk narrative, Brooks varied his forms, using free verse, sonnets, and drawing inspiration from iconic poets. Using this eclectic method, many of Brooks' works present a political consciousness, particularly those of the civil rights movement – ​​many of his poems reflecting the activism of this period. One of these works was Gay Chaps at the Bar. Writing from the perspective of black soldiers experiencing the intersecting violence of war and racism, Brooks addresses their complex relationship with their "home" in a country still segregated and still driven by racism, hatred, and fear. A home is supposed to be welcoming; America at that time was not. The most Shakespearean sonnet in Brook's poetry collection, "Piano After War" imitates Shakespeare in both structure and style. Although she adopts Shakespeare's style, the poem is clearly written by Brooks due to the political tone. A soldier imagines what peace will be like in a room where a woman plays the piano, recovering the “old hungers” who will “break their coffins”. The opening lines of a celebration of life before the war quickly transform into “A cry of bitter dead men.” This postwar reassessment calls into question racism in America, with the blatant disrespect and injustices highlighted by the civil rights movement. This premature and unnecessary death constitutes a bitter retrospective for survivors and victims alike. These soldiers believe that their future will always be marked by the cold. The thawed eye will return to ice. / And the stone will drive away the sweetness from my face. “Shove,” crudely suggesting “shovel,” constitutes the poem’s inexorable moment. Although all African Americans had difficulty adjusting to the severe racism that prevailed in America at that time, the situation for these soldiers was worse. They left for