Countee Cullen: Collected Poems Essay Questions

What description best characterizes the tone and perspective of Cullen's poems?

Most of Cullen's poems feature a first-person narrator who is Black. They often depict the struggles of Black Americans in the face of racism and systemic oppression. Their voice is frequently characterized by a strong emotionality and an evocative use of natural or religious imagery. They commonly express solidarity with other members of the Black community while attempting to find some way beyond the difficulties of the present. The tone of his poems is best described as urgent and passionate.

What is the act of love portrayed in "A Brown Girl Dead"?

In "A Brown Girl Dead," Cullen writes about the funeral of a young Black girl. She is described as being buried in a white dress, with white roses on her chest and white candles by her head and feet. The speaker goes on to say that her mother paid for this by pawning her wedding ring, because she wanted the funeral to be so nice her daughter would "dance and sing" if she were alive to witness the service. This financial sacrifice is the mother's final act of love for her daughter. She cannot bring her back to life, but she can give her a funeral that is dignified and would have been what she wanted. These funeral arrangements show the care the mother has for her daughter, even after she has passed on.

What is the main theme of "Heritage’’?

The poem "Heritage," is about the speaker's frayed connection with his African ancestry. He describes the way in which he has visions of various African scenes, viscerally recalling sights, smells, and sounds from the jungle, but also feels at a distance from them. He notes the way in which his connection to that place has been severed by his assimilation to American culture and many generations of slavery. He finds himself unable to make sense of the warring identities within him. The poem as a whole is about what it means to be stuck between two worlds, unable to fully inhabit one without letting the other go.

What is the major conflict in most of Cullen's poetry?

The conflict in many of Cullen's poems is racism. In "Incident," the speaker recounts a time when a young boy called him a horrible racial slur. In "From the Dark Tower," the speaker states his outrage about Black people being cheated out of the products of their labor. These poems, and others like them, show the ways in which Black Americans are continually forced to fight against the many different forms prejudice takes. Additionally, they highlight the way racism can be both interpersonal and overarching, occurring on the micro level of the individual as well as the macro level of political and economic systems.

What is unique about the relationship between Cullen's style and content?

Many critics have noted that while Cullen frequently wrote about Black characters, he was also heavily influenced by many white poets. In particular, he expressed admiration for John Keats, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Robert Frost. His poems are particularly striking in the way that they use rhyme, meter, and figurative language similar to that of those writers, but do so to describe the contemporary challenges faced by Black Americans. Cullen frequently emphasized the craft and aesthetics of poetry, but never seemed to shy away from pressing social issues. His poetry is unique in that it merges an intense focus on formal control with a passionate eye for racial justice, never making one subordinate to the other.