Claude Mckay, a Dialectical Analysis Essay

In Claude McKays, Old England and Quashie to Buccra McKay uses dialect as a way to give poesys multiple meanings. What may be knock againstn as a simplistic or naive poem about Jamaican life may actu in ally be full of replicate meanings that only a select audience would be able to identify. In his poems, McKay ultimately gives Negros who cut back under lily-white colonists the underlying message of shocking resistance by revolution. Perhaps what makes this interpretation so convincing is the background of the author.McKay was born Sunny Ville Jamaica as the youngest of 11 sons. While in Jamaica, McKay wrote Songs of Jamaica, which is where Quashie to Buccra is derived from. In this time, he also became a self proclaimed socialist, As a socialist, McKay eventually became an editor at The Liberator, in addition to writing various articles for a number of left-wing publications (Giles 1). During this period, McKay wrote If We Must Die, another poem charged with angst against the oppressed Negro society.Notably this poem was exact aloud by Winston Churchill during World struggle II, however left unattri saveed to McKay himself. This can be acquiren as a reflection on society of the time, and how they werent ready to see a poem like that as a black revolutionary poem, and that the issues of the black Negro were quietly swept under the rug or ignored entirely. This is perhaps why the read of an Englishman would differ so greatly from an African Negro course session Quashie to Buccra, as the Englishmen of the time were out of look with the battle these rangeers were experiencing.McKays communist background may very well be a bi-product of the pagan discrepancies of the time, and a way for the workingman to get back at the bourgeoisie, or white, upper social class. To address the manifold meanings of Claude McKays work, the commentator must first look at the surface layer. As we discussed in class, the poems were with on the condition they were comp leted in Jamaican dialect, not necessarily because of Claude McKays stimulate choice.To a white, European society reading the poem, it comes across as a poem about a unsubdivided agriculturalist that is telling the white grove owner about the fruits of his labor, and how they may not be fully appreciated. In actuality, the poem can be seen by Negros as a way to criticize the white plantation owner and in fact plant the seeds of rebellion. Indeed, the title of the work itself leads credence to it being veiled in double meaning. While a white, European in the high rungs of the social ladder may read the poem as a simple address of worker to plantation owner.However, a Negro experiencing the strife of Quashie, the black peasant worker who produces sweet potatoes in the poem, may relate to the unfairness of they experience from the Buccra, which is the white man being addressed in the poem. Indeed, McKay points out in the poem, You taste the potato, and you say its sweet, but you do nt know how hard we work for it (McKay 2). Buccra even attempts to haggle for a lower price, raise showing he doesnt understand the work that goes into farming the sweet potatoes, You want a basketball hoop fe quattiewut (McKay 3).Not only does this demonstrate the Buccras insensitivity to the work that goes into the harvest, but it shows hes greedy and milking the natives for every last sixpence. A white reader may look at the reading as Quashie s suggest complaining about his hard work, The sun is hot like when fire catches a township (McKay 9). In reality, Quashie would do this work even if he werent required to because he has a sense of pride, Although the shade tree looks tempting, we wouldnt lie down even if we could (McKay 10-11).Someone working these handle could relate to the pride and craftsmanship that takes to plow in a straight line, or work through the rough Earth. This reading can be taken another step further. Its not super C for a fire to simply catch a town, a nd for a Negro reading the poem, they may see it as a call to rebel and actually set a town ablaze as vengeance against white society. A rebellion such as setting a rich town ablaze would not be unheard of in a communist state, and it might be a call to arms for Jamaican Negros reading the poems in Songs of Jamaica.Undeniably, there appears to be a lexicon for violence in the poem that may be entirely glossed over by a white, European reader. Although the vine is little, it can bear. It wishes for zipper but a little care. You see potato tearing up the ground, you run. You laughing, you must think its fun (McKay 16-20). As stated introductory, a European audience may feel this is simply Quashie denouncing that his work is difficult, and that hes just announcing his woes in a silly way, and that the whole thing just mirthfully amuses the white plantation owner.However, if you choose to look at this through the perspective of a Negro who is proclivity to break free of their oppres sors, it can have an entirely different reading. Quashie planting seeds can be seen as planting the seeds of an uprising. The imagery of potatoes coming up from the ground seems comical at first, but if youre an oppressed worker, you might see this as the crops being metaphorical for the workers rising forth to take revenge against the plantation owners.Even as Quashie explains to Buccra that hes serious, Buccra seems to completely blow him off as if hes making a fun, or a funny joke, as if the work isnt victorious a serious toll on the Jamaicans. This kind of sentiment can be seen in the last-place stanza, wherein Claude McKay seemingly dismisses everything hes talked about earlier, Yet quiet down the hardships always melt away, whenever it comes around to reaping daytime (McKay 25-26). A white, European reader may look at Quashies dismissal of all his earlier complaining, as if to say, Oh well, it may have been back breaking labor, but at least the potatoes are reasoned for e atingIn reality, there may be a darker reading here that a Jamaican potato sodbuster would be more apt to catch onto. The imagery of reaping day seems to also imply that if the Buccra doesnt start taking him seriously, the Grim Reaper, or in this case, the workers that are being taken vantage of, may make their troubles melt away by simply rising up and doing some reaping of their own that has nothing to do with crops. This does not mean, however, that McKay necessarily wanted a revolution.It may have been more of a last resort. Indeed, he makes is clear in Old England that he has great respect for British culture. McKay still expressed admiration for the British. He believed that the Jamaicans had acquired their democratic spirit and respect for law and order from the British (Tillery 14). Indeed, in Old England, McKay expresses great desires to visit what he calls his homeland. He refers to Queen capital of Seychelles as Queen Victoria the Good, and longs to visit the place where poets and kings alike are buried.Again, however, there appears to be a discrepancy in what different readers may interpret. While it may all appear reverent, he makes it clear that in death, the poets and kings is all alike, and that in their graves, the kings and queens find a place to hang up their crowns. This may symbolize McKays gripe with the wealthy class, and how they appear to have a disconnect with the working class Jamaicans, disdain his own love for Britain, and may not deserve a spot next to say the poets that exalt McKays writing.In conclusion, Claude McKay uses dialectical tools to draw different readers to different readings. What one person may see as a happy go lucky poem about a potato farmer may really represent a call to arms. His use of manipulating the dialect to create multiple readings causes the reader to question what exactly his true audience is what hes trying to tell them through treatment choice and double meaning.