Harlem Shadows Analysis - Literary devices and Poetic devices

Harlem Shadows

I hear the halting footsteps of a lass
In Negro Harlem when the night lets fall
Its veil. I see the shapes of girls who pass
To bend and barter at desire’s call.
Ah, little dark girls who in slippered feet
Go prowling through the night from street to street!

Through the long night until the silver break
Of day the little gray feet know no rest;
Through the lone night until the last snow-flake
Has dropped from heaven upon the earth’s white breast,
The dusky, half-clad girls of tired feet
Are trudging, thinly shod, from street to street.

Ah, stern harsh world, that in the wretched way
Of poverty, dishonor and disgrace,
Has pushed the timid little feet of clay,
The sacred brown feet of my fallen race!
Ah, heart of me, the weary, weary feet
In Harlem wandering from street to street.

Summary of Harlem Shadows

Popularity of “Harlem Shadows”: Written by a powerful American African voice, iconic poet, and Harlem Renaissance’s chief exponent, Claude McKay, this short poem “Harlem Shadows” rather presents an unusual aspect of Harlem. Appearing in 1922 when the Harlem Renaissance was at its peak, the poem synced with the title of the book in which it appeared. McKay’s voice against racial discrimination emerged as a strong force at that time. That is why he presents the life of the sex workers belonging to his community. The popularity of this poem lies in this presentation of the life of African American sex workers.
“Harlem Shadows” As a Representative of African American Sex Workers: The poet presents the shadows of the African American sex workers strolling in the neighborhood of Harlem. These girls scavenge in the streets of Harlem to find some customers for them. The speaker of the poem, who happens to be the poet himself, shows that the girls have very small and cold feet that continue walking, demonstrating that they are quite teenage girls. He shows the white surface of the earth contrasted with the blackness of these walking shadows to conclude that racial discrimination runs deep even when it comes to sex workers. The world is cruel in that one race is going down in poverty without moving the people of the other races living around them. The poet has no choice but to feel sorry for the tiredness and weariness of the small girls wandering in the Harlem streets to find customers to satisfy their hunger.
Major Themes in “Harlem Shadows”: Extreme poverty, racial discrimination, and Harlem conditions are three major themes of the poem “Harlem Shadows.” The poet is quite successful in highlighting the plight of the teenage girls of his area, Harlem, in pointing out that poverty does not see race. Yet, nothing moves around as the area is the center of attention as well as the center of African American community. The racial discrimination runs so deep that the teenage girls are engaged in free and open sexual trade, and yet no authority moves. In fact, this Harlem condition only concerns the African American community and not the city administration or the white authorities. That is why McKay calls this a “stern harsh world” where they have only “poverty, dishonor, and disgrace.”

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Harlem Shadows

Claude McKay used various literary devices to enhance the intended impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices he has used are as follows.

Allusion: It is a reference to a literary, historical, and social event or incident, or figure to show its importance in the existing context. The poet referred to Harlem as a geographical and racial allusion.
Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /a/ in “I hear the halting footsteps of a lass” and the sound of /o/ in “Go prowling through the night from street to street.”
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line in quick succession, such as the sound of /w/ in “wretched way.”
Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /b/ in “To bend and barter at desire’s call” and the sound of /s/ and /d/ in “Of poverty, dishonor, and disgrace.”
Enjambment: It is a device in which the meanings of verse roll over to the next without having any pause or punctuation mark. The sonnet shows the use of enjambment, such as;

Ah, stern harsh world, that in the wretched way
Of poverty, dishonor and disgrace,
Has pushed the timid little feet of clay,
The sacred brown feet of my fallen race!
Ah, heart of me, the weary, weary feet
In Harlem wandering from street to street.

Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Claude McKay used imagery in this poem, such as “Of day the little gray feet know no rest”, “Has pushed the timid little feet of clay” and “The sacred brown feet of my fallen race.”
Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used the metaphor of night as if it is also a woman having a veil, or earth showing her breast it is a woman.
Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem shows symbols such as lass, night, desire, call, and streets to show the sexual trade.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Harlem Shadows

Poetic devices are part of literary devices with different functions. With their help, the poet sets the mood of the poem and gives his text indirect meanings. The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem is as follows.

Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal and poetic diction.
End Rhyme: End rhyme is used to make the stanza melodious. Claude McKay has used end rhyme in this poem, such as lass/pass and fall/call.
Rhyme Scheme: The poem follows ABABCC and it continues in the next two stanzas.
Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are three stanzas with each having six verses.
Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows a bitter and sad tone.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote when discussing the Harlem Renaissance.