Selected Poems: Amazon.ca: Claude McKay: Books

Product Description

Jamaican-American poet Claude McKay (1889–1948) came to the U.S. in 1912 and became an important figure in the Harlem Renaissance. This inexpensive edition includes a representative sample of his Jamaican dialect verse, but concentrates on poems from Harlem Shadows (1922) and uncollected verse. Edited and with an introduction by Joan R. Sherman.

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4.6 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A diverse collection by a gifted poet, May 4 2003

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Michael J. Mazza - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Selected Poems (Paperback)

"Selected Poems," by Claude McKay, is a wonderful volume by this noteworthy writer. This Dover edition, which is edited by Joan R. Sherman, includes a bibliography of work by McKay as well as an index of the poems in the book.

Sherman's introduction discusses the life and career of McKay, who was born in Jamaica and came to live in the U.S. A novelist and essayist as well, he died in Chicago in 1948.

Many of the poems are written in Jamaican dialect. These dialect pieces have an energetic color and musicality. Many poems also show McKay's command of standard literary English; he writes some particularly fine sonnets.

Overall, this is a rich, diverse, and technically adept collection. There are many pointedly political poems that condemn racism and economic injustice, as well as sensuous love poems. There are poems that invoke both the rural tropics and the urban north.

These poems show McKay to be a master of meter, rhyme, and other aspects of poetry; he uses considerable variety throughout the collection. His best pieces combine a burning passion with his impressive technical prowess. Consider "A Capitalist at Dinner," a cutting political sonnet with a devastating final couplet; or "Song of the New Soldier and Worker," another political piece that uses stunning imagery and masterful audio effects.

McKay uses words as both lethal weapons against the forces of injustice and as tender instruments of passionate love. He is a poet of tremendous talent, and this collection is a real treasure.

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5.0 out of 5 stars McKay's nation language, Dec 16 2002

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Thomas Weiler (South Bend, IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selected Poems (Paperback)

In Claude McKay's Selected Poems, one sees the transformation of this West Indian poet's life manifested in his varied styles. McKay was born in the Jamaican countryside to an elite class, educated and given every opportunity. Then, as a young man, he came to America and felt the sting of pervasive racism and the numbness of being labeled second-class. His work shows that at times he looks down with pity at his people, only to look up with scorn at his oppressors. This duality drives many of his poems, especially those in the book's first section: Songs of Jamaica.
In "Hard Times" McKay exhibits the range of his poetic voice by ventriloquizing a Jamaican peasant. The effective use of this device brings an undeniably intimate feel to the poem and is remarkably capable of relating the sorrow of the poor farmer depicted. The modification of Jamaican vernacular on the English language is also a portrayal of the West Indian's captivity and adaptation to a strange culture.
Not to be overlooked are poems from McKay's Harlem Shadows collection. "If We Must Die" reflect his anger at an oppressive white menace that threatens to devour his culture. Interestingly enough, Winston Churchill read the same poem to British troops during WWII in a defiant call to arms. This cross-cultural application surely reflects the broader themes of McKay's work buried in the bowels of racial conflict.
All together, McKay's nation language echoes through the entire collection and relates a stirring narrative of the struggle of a West Indian exile. Each poem uses language, whether the voice of an island peasant, or an American immigrant, to engage the reader in the poet's struggle; a compelling read.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Poetry, Sep 12 2002

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Urban Diva "Tina :)" (Belleville, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Selected Poems (Paperback)

I enjoyed the selected poems of Claude Mckay. Although in the beginning the dialouge was hard to follow, it became easier as I imagined myself as the writer...Good poetry

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A good survey of McKay's work....
I first read "If We Must Die" in a Literature class in college. Not knowing anything about Claude McKay, I saw this asan almost "athletic" speech from a coach... Read more

Published on July 28 2001 by Jeffrey Leeper

4.0 out of 5 stars amazing poet -- limited edition
McKay's poetry is brilliant. Sadly, this thrift edition does not do justice to the poet or his work. I look forward to finding a definitive edition of all his poems. Read more

Published on Sep 5 2000 by eachan