Consider the time period during which Mckay wrote "If We Must Die." How might the social conditions of the era and McKay's experience as a black writer in Harlem have informed his views on death and bravery?
This question is from the poem, 'If We Must Die' by Claude McKay
Explanation:
The poem begins with the line, 'If we must die, let it not be like Hogs hunted and penned in an inglorious spot'. The pet says that he and his men are under attack.
A battle scene is depicted in this poem. The speaker and his men are hunted by 'hungry dogs'. he tells his men not to become weak but to fight against them.
He says attacking them may lead to death but they should not stand there waiting to be killed. He encourages them to make their deaths noble so that their precious blood may not go in vain. He wanted them to fight with valor in such a way that those attacking, will also honor them.
