An analysis on Countee Cullen's Yet Do I Marvel
A proclaimed poet of the Harlem Renaissance, Countee Cullen, uses his poem, Yet Do I Marvel, to send a very strong and passionate message. Using the Petrachan Sonnet form, Cullen discusses his effort to understanding the acts of God. Yet Do I Marvel is beautifully written and uses many literary devices, such as: assonance, consonance, and alliteration. Cullen also uses a variety of tones- confusion, anger and sarcasm- to portray his message. Through the use of metaphor and allusion, Cullen allows the readers to put themselves in his shoes. Through his poetry, the reader is presented with the struggle and the underlying true message- the harshness and cruelty towards the African Americans- the reality of racism. Structurally, Cullen progressively intensifies the overall tone and message of the sonnet. In the first stanza, he creates a confused tone which serves as the foundation that explains his intent. The first eight lines make up one sentence, one idea. These enjambed lines flow fast, forcing the reader to move on to the next line, to the next grievance. An example of this is within the first two lines of the poem; “And did He stoop to quibble could tell why/ The little buried mole continues blind.” In using enjambment, Cul
len forces the reader to figure it out. Cullen also uses enjambment for another purpose, connection. This is successfully used in the first four lines of the sestet. If read aloud, everything is read together, one breath. This creates another tone, anger and frustration. It is as if the speaker is trying to cram everything into one sentence, trying to get his ideas out as fast as he can. Cullen also uses end-stopped lines effectively. Because they are used sparingly throughout the poem (mostly within the first octet), Cullen effectively uses end-stopped lines to switch subjects along with the tone. The most effective and concrete use of end-stopped lines is used to shift between the first octet and the sestet. Another literary device Cullen uses is rhyme scheme. At first, Cullen chooses the alternating rhyme scheme because the speaker wants to get his message across. In alternating the rhyme scheme it creates a sense of continuation, forcing the reader to keep reading to complete the thought. In the sestet, Cullen alters the rhyme scheme. In changing the rhyme scheme to a constant two line pattern, Cullen creates an overall sense of connection. Other structural choices include his use of consonance, “Buried…blind,” “day die,” and “fickle fruit,” which places an emphasis on his ideas and feelings. Another structural choice that Cullen uses is the capitalization of “Him” (referring to God.). I
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Approximate Word count = 955
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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