Rena Childers Assignment 3

1. The Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay is a poem describing a dancer and her veiled identity. Through the use of metaphor/simile, the author indirectly implies that her identity is masked by her audience’s perceptions. This establishes a sympathetic tone. In the third line, the speaker writes that her voice is “like the sound of blended flutes Blown by black players upon a picnic day.” This simile alludes to the fact that her voice is innocent, reminding the audience of her innocent self in the midst of that sinful scene. Whereas most might see this as amusing, the author feels sympathetic for the dancer. A second example comes in the seventh line, “to me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm,” depicting her movement. The use of “to me” makes it obvious to the readers that this is only his own interpretation, a concerned one. The use of both metaphor and simile together create a sympathetic, understanding tone.

2. "Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in."  --Amy Lowell
I find this quote particularly interesting and relatable. As humans, we constantly desire understanding from those around us. We see the world with an egocentric view, which causes us to view our problems as the greatest and most complex. Although in reality this is far from the truth, it often passes through our minds. By creating art that we feel expresses the essence of who we are, we are in turn gaining the satisfaction of having others see things through our eyes and appreciate the complexity of our individual personalities.