The White House (Claude McKay poem) Essay Questions

How does the second person function in the poem?

McKay uses the second person to directly criticize the “White House” and the system of white supremacy that it represents. By using the word “you,” McKay is able to address the poem directly to the racists that he condemns. In the first line, he situates the white house as the central symbol of the poem: “Your door is shut against my tightened face” (Line 1). The ‘your” here refers not only to the house itself, but to white people throughout America who have constructed a legal and social system that excludes Black people. McKay again uses the second person to implicate all of the white supremacist society in Line 8: he walks down the street, “Where boldly shines your shuttered door of glass.” Here, the word “bold”—often associated with American patriotism—is repurposed to demonstrate how America boldly, or clearly, displays its racism. Finally, McKay again emphasizes the broader scope of his critique using the second person in Line 12, when he harnesses power to “hold me to the letter of your law!” This line makes clear that McKay is addressing not only political figures like the president, but all who participate in and condone America’s racist justice system and society.

Provide an example of personification from the poem and explain its effect.

The speaker repeatedly personifies the White House to reflect the idea that racism is structurally embedded in American society. The speaker addresses not only all of American society, but the White House directly, personifying it by using the second-person pronoun: "Your door is shut against my tightened face." The White House has shut itself against the speaker, symbolizing the speaker's exclusion from the white-dominated, racist society. Similarly, other white houses that the speaker passes on the street are "boldly" closed, highlighting how racism is blatantly displayed in 1920s American society. McKay writes, "Oh, I Must keep my heart inviolate / Against the potent poison of your hate" (lines 13-14). Ordinarily, houses don't experience emotions such as hatred. However, the White House, the main addressee of the poem, hates the speaker. The personification underscores the institutionalized hatred against the speaker. This personification also alludes to the White House as a political symbol—by calling to the reader's mind the pinnacle of political power in the United States, the poem intertwines its social critique with a message about the legal and political aspects of systemic racism.

Explain the effect of using steel as a simile in the poem.

After coming upon the White House's closed door, the persona declares, "And I am sharp as steel with discontent" (line 2). The steel underscores the persona's extreme unhappiness, which stems from being barred from the White House. The White House doors reject him based on his looks, which are alluded to through the mention of his face. Being sidelined in society can elicit emotional pain and great dissatisfaction. The White House is not sensitive to the anguish it is causing in the persona's life through its rejection. The imagery of sharp steel invokes ideas of weaponry and physical pain, which sets the tone for the poem's emphasis on the speaker's intense internal pain. The word "steel" also has a dual meaning that McKay capitalizes on here. The simile uses steel in the literal sense, comparing the speaker's emotional state to the sharpness of this metal, which is often used in weaponry. However, the word "steely" refers to someone who is coldly determined and hard. McKay's reference to steel alludes to this latter meaning, demonstrating to the reader that the speaker is not only sharply angry, but is determined to resist the oppression that he faces.