Biography claude mckay poems
Claude mckay poems home to harlem!
Biography claude mckay poems
Claude McKay
(1889-1948)
Who Was Claude McKay?
Claude McKay moved to Harlem, New York, after publishing his first books of poetry, and established himself as a literary voice for social justice during the Harlem Renaissance.
He is known for his novels, essays and poems, including "If We Must Die" and "Harlem Shadows." He died on May 22, 1948, in Chicago, Illinois.
Early Life
Festus Claudius McKay was born in Sunny Ville, Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, on September 15, 1889.
His mother and father spoke proudly of their respective Malagasy and Ashanti heritage. McKay blended his African pride with his love of British poetry. He studied poetry and philosophy with Englishman Walter Jekyll, who encouraged the young man to begin producing poetry in his own Jamaican dialect.
Literary Career
A London publishing house produced McKay's first books of verse, Songs of Jamaica and Constab Ballads, in 1912.
McKay used award money that he received from the Jamaican I