The Indictment of God and the American Society in Countee Cullen’s Poetry

Onwu Uko Gabriel

doi:10.47631/ijecls.v2i4.289

Abstract

The concept that God is as unjust as the society is so eloquently portrayed in Countee Cullen’s poems “Yet Do I Marvel’’ and “Incident”. Cullen accuses God of being unjust by making him a poet. The renowned poet does not exonerate his American society from the indictment based on racial hostilities and insensitivity that seemed to have permeated the milieu. This paper addresses the questions of the indictment, racial intolerance and the significance of Cullen’s poetry to American literature. To achieve the objective of this study, the author adopts interpretive literary study and The Reader-Response approach to analyze the selected poems. The study reveals that Cullen’s poetry like other genres lives in timeless performance, is therapeutic, is a strong vehicle for the mobilization of people, and a tool for protest. The study concludes that Countee Cullen uses his poetry to indict God and American society. From the analysis of the selected poems, it is observed that poetry lives with people, is a weapon for change in any Nation and Cullen’s poetry addresses the contemporary needs of a society. His accusation of God and American society is a concern and seems relevant. What matter most is equality, justice and love for humanity? All these ingredients must emanate from the heart and transcend color for any society to attain oneness.

Highlights

Poetry addresses questions that accompany human life, nature, and the world of imagination that subsequently translate into reality
The contradictions, complexities, hopes and hurts encountered by the Africans in the United State before and during the era of the Harlem renaissance were glaring
Cullen’s accusation of God and Society for misdemeanor. It appears that rule- keeping is important to the poet. His adherence to this fixed poetic form is a trade mark ascribed to this Harlem Renaissance scholar.“Yet Do I Marvel” was composed and published in Cullen’s anthology “Colour” in 1925.It is foregrounded on racial injustice and identity

Summary

Introduction

Poetry addresses questions that accompany human life, nature, and the world of imagination that subsequently translate into reality. An Italian Philosopher, Giorgio Agamben asserts that when sound and sense run into each other or coincide, the poem dissolves into meaning He draws our attention to the transparent nature of the poem and maintains that “The double intensity animating language does not die away in a final comprehension; instead, it collapses into silence, to speak, in an endless falling” (115). In most communities where a poet is revered as the eye of the people, his prophetic voice reveals the depth of despair in the communal soul. He reveals the promises of a future that bears the spark of hope and rebirth

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion