If We Must Die Mckay
In rhyme and meter, Claude McKay’s “If We Must Die” generally conforms to the conventions of a Shakespearean sonnet, but at several moments throughout the poem, McKay also strays from the rules of the English sonnet. In composing his poem in the style of the traditional Shakespearean sonnet, McKay creates a clear narrative that is both easy to follow and equally artistic. However, in deviating from this conventional style, McKay draws attention to specific phrases that contribute greatly to the contrasting sentiments of shame and nobility that permeate the fourteen lines of the poem. By utilizing the quatrain structure of the Shakespearean sonnet, and accentuating it through his choice of end-rhymes, McKay controls the story and tone progression
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For example, in the second line, there are 11 syllables instead of the usual 10 in iambic pentameter. The responsibility for such a break in sonnet convention falls mainly on the four syllable word “inglorious”. Accordingly, this word actually carries critical meaning throughout the poem. The emphasis on the word inglorious makes sense because in the next quatrain, the speaker urges his troops to do the noble, or glorious, thing and fight back. Another example is the extra syllable in line seven, which helps lead into the next line by making it an awkward pause in itself. The extra syllable and lack of actual punctuation fits in with the ranting, run-on feel of the quatrain. After all, it is here that he reaches the climax of his urging. He argues that they must fight on because “then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” Finally, in line 13 there is an extra foot. This subsequently turns the reader’s attentions towards the two long words in the line, “murderous” and “cowardly”. Again, these are crucial words that highlight the light in which the speaker holds his enemy. They are not honorable, like the speaker wishes to be, but murderous and cowardly. In the third quatrain, there start to be a lot more trochee-sounding phrases. In contrast with the softness of the end rhymes, the trochaic tone creates a sense of intensity. In energy, the third quatrain matches the first quatrain, but it’s no longer through aggression and spitting out words like “hog” and “hunted” and “dogs”. Instead, the third quatrain is a valiant salutation to the noble act that they are about to execute. They will “show us brave”(line 10) and “for their thousand blows deal one deathblow”. In this combination of trochaic intensity and mellow word choice, the author highlights the speaker’s
For example, in the second line, there are 11 syllables instead of the usual 10 in iambic pentameter. The responsibility for such a break in sonnet convention falls mainly on the four syllable word “inglorious”. Accordingly, this word actually carries critical meaning throughout the poem. The emphasis on the word inglorious makes sense because in the next quatrain, the speaker urges his troops to do the noble, or glorious, thing and fight back. Another example is the extra syllable in line seven, which helps lead into the next line by making it an awkward pause in itself. The extra syllable and lack of actual punctuation fits in with the ranting, run-on feel of the quatrain. After all, it is here that he reaches the climax of his urging. He argues that they must fight on because “then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honor us though dead!” Finally, in line 13 there is an extra foot. This subsequently turns the reader’s attentions towards the two long words in the line, “murderous” and “cowardly”. Again, these are crucial words that highlight the light in which the speaker holds his enemy. They are not honorable, like the speaker wishes to be, but murderous and cowardly. In the third quatrain, there start to be a lot more trochee-sounding phrases. In contrast with the softness of the end rhymes, the trochaic tone creates a sense of intensity. In energy, the third quatrain matches the first quatrain, but it’s no longer through aggression and spitting out words like “hog” and “hunted” and “dogs”. Instead, the third quatrain is a valiant salutation to the noble act that they are about to execute. They will “show us brave”(line 10) and “for their thousand blows deal one deathblow”. In this combination of trochaic intensity and mellow word choice, the author highlights the speaker’s