Claude McKay, born Festus Claudius McKay, was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, a key to the literary movement of the 1920s. A Jamaican American poet, McKay used the perspective of the outsider or a "character" as a recurring theme in his works. This is best seen in poems such as "Outcast", "America", and "If We Must Die". In these poems, McKay portrays the African American as the outsider to Western society and its politics, laws, and general state of life. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The Depiction of African American Life in Poems by Mckay Black American literature has a community of themes and topics that best express social, economic, and social aspects. political situations of blacks in America. These issues form the backdrop to the lives of Black Americans. Not to mention protest literature that takes the form of racial themes such as racial oppression, the deprivation of a black individual, family and community, legitimate freedom and many others. These constitute the majority of African American writing from the slave era to the present. “If We Must Die” is an aggressive poem about the militia in which the character calls on black men in America to arm themselves against racial oppression and lynching. It asks black men to go against all forces of evil and meet violence with violence in ascertaining their ethical dignity in their struggle for social, economic and political emancipation, despite all odds. The character reveals the indestructible dignity of black Americans. Even if they die because of the suffering and oppression they endure, they should not die like “pigs” and should rather die “a nobly death.” “If we must die, let it not be like pigs. Hunted down and locked up in an inglorious place." The character vividly shows in him the pride of his motherland, Africa, boasting of the beauty of strong and clear darkness in the presence of white people who see themselves as superior beings. While around us the mad and hungry dogs bark and mock our cursed fate. If we must die, oh let us die nobly so that our precious blood will not be shrouded. In the poem “Outcast” the character sulks in his grief as he talks about his experience as an alien from another earth. McKay's "Outcast" is the poem in which the theme of the "outsider" is most evident. It creates a vivid picture of the alienation the African American community is subjected to. It also talks about its root, Africa, a land that generates peace, love and tranquility. He talks about losing his contract with his culture only to embrace alien deities. He regrets that he was ever born in a foreign land. The theme of alienation is evident in the poem. The person is taken away from his natural roots in Africa and brought to a foreign land. He shows resentment in his remarks about his root; Africa. She weeps that she may never see him again in her life: “Through the dark regions from which my father came my spirit, swathed in body, yearns for words felt but never heard, my lips frame my souls singing forgotten songs of the jungle." 'America' is another poem written by McKay that delves into the theme of outsiders in America. McKay expresses his love-hate relationship with America in this poem. He states that she "sinks her tiger tooth into my throat, stealing the breath of life from me." But he confesses that I love this cultured hell that puts my youth to the test! His vigor flows like tides through my blood, giving me strength to stand against his hatred.' This line indicates that.