What is the significance of if we must die

According to the poet, how can one die nobly? One can die nobly by "dying but fighting back. What is the meaning of lines ? In context, Mckay is alluding to the fact that bravery and tenacity will result in the respect of the enemy If We Must Die. If We Must Die study guide contains a biography of Claude McKay, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

Remember me. These first four lines establish the basic premise of the poem: the speaker and his allies are under attack and are going to die , and the force opposing them is powerful and vicious. There is the strongest message of fighting back and dying with dignity among the battles. There are also themes of honor and courage in warfare. The speaker of the poem is letting those fighting know that their deaths in this battle will be ones of honor.

They must not be afraid, but stand strong to die with dignity. Why we must die? Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem. Harlem Shadows. The Harlem Dancer. The Tropics in New York. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does.

Give reasons to justify your answer. The persona is surely not afraid of death. The reasons for this are;. Rhetorical question. The poet paints the pictures of;. Visual image. Which is to say whether we fight or not death is there waiting for us. Death is the ultimate finality of human life. If we must die let it not be like hogs.

The poet mocks both the enemy and himself. But how can someone coward press you to the wall dying. Also shows that the enemy is capable of dealing a thousand death blows but he can deal only one. A pack is a group of dogs or wolves hunting together. He compares the oppressors as a cowardly pack because the Whites were hunting Africans in notorious mobs and not individually. This shows that they were coward as well.

The speaker calls for action from his fellow kinsmen the oppressed or more specifically Black-Americans. Awareness, sacrifice and determination are still needed when it comes to fighting for our rights. Unknown 4 January at