I Know My Soul
By Claude McKay
I plucked my soul out of its secret place,
And held it to the mirror of my eye,
To see it like a star against the sky,
A twitching body quivering in space,
A spark of passion shining on my face.
And I explored it to determine why
This awful key to my infinity
Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.
And if the sign may not be fully read,
If I can comprehend but not control,
I need not gloom my days with futile dread,
Because I see a part and not the whole.
Contemplating the strange, I’m comforted
By this narcotic thought: I know my soul.
Summary of I Know My Soul
- Popularity of “I Know My Soul”: Written by Claude McKay, a Jamaican-American writer and poet, “I Know my Soul” is a symbolic poem. The poem discusses the importance of being true to ourselves. It also suggests that one should genuinely understand one’s desires to attain real happiness. It, however, has won global praise due to its subject matter of being honest with ourselves.
- “I Know My Soul” As a Representative of Self-Assessment: This is a suggestive poem. It begins with a declaration. The speaker says that he has plucked his soul out of its secret place to examine whether it shines like a star or not. Exploring one’s soul means questioning all the desires and intentions that occur in mind. The speaker wants to expose himself to filter his thoughts and ideas. While doing so, he feels reluctant to reveal his desires and actions that play a vital role in shaping and reshaping his soul. To him, the purpose of self-assessment is to question why a pure soul gets tempted toward wrongdoings. The later part of the poem takes a religious turn, where the speaker says that the soul is the key to infinity. It represents our intentions and desires. If one harbors evil desires, he/she inclines to the evil path, leading to destruction. However, if one follows good wishes, he won’t face a bad end. After building a strong argument, the writer fails to understand his soul’s desires, and this inability to judge himself makes him uneasy.
- Major Themes in “I Know My Soul”: The poem’s central themes are examining one’s self, desires, and mediation. This beautiful poem urges human beings to dig into their souls and find out whether they are bound to follow good deeds or not. For that, he becomes an example. He brings his soul to the reader’s court and examines what it is made of. While doing an open examination of his soul, the writer touches on the profound messages that human desires and sinful temptations corrode the purity and innocence of the soul. He invites the readers to challenge their fears regarding themselves. Also, he advises them to spare some time to meditate and think about what their soul is made of. Finally, he urges them to quit making futile efforts to control problems of life over which we have no control because they essentially come under God’s control.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in I Know My Soul
literary devices are modes that represent the writer’s ideas, feelings, and emotions. Claude McKay has used some literary devices in this poem to make it appealing. The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem is listed below.
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “I plucked my soul out of its secret place” and the sound of /o/ in “Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.”
- Anaphora: It refers to the repetition of a word or expression in the first part of some verses. Claude has repeated the word “A” in the first stanza of the poem to emphasize the point such as;
“A twitching body quivering in space,
A spark of passion shining on my face.
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “To see it like a star against the sky” and the sound of /r/ in “Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.”
- Enjambment: It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;
“And I explored it to determine why
This awful key to my infinity
Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.”
- Irony: Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The writer has used this device in the opening lines of the poem, such as; “I plucked my soul out of its secret place/and held it to the mirror of my eye.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Claude McKay used imagery in this poem such as; “A twitching body quivering in space”, “I need not gloom my days with futile dread” and “A spark of passion shining on my face.”
- Simile: It is a device Used to compare something with something else to make the meanings clear to the readers. The writer compares his soul to a star in the opening lines of the poem, such as; “To see it like a star against the sky.”
- Symbolism: Symbolism is using symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal meanings. The poem uses symbols such as self-assessment, contemplation, and desires.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in I Know My Soul
There are certain devices used only in poetry and not in prose. The analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem is given below.
- Diction: The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices, symbolism, and impressive images.
- Free Verse: Free verse is a type of poetry that does not contain patterns of rhyme or meter. This is a free verse poem with no strict rhyme or meter.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote during sermons and lectures to speak about the importance of being true to oneself.
“I plucked my soul out of its secret place,
And held it to the mirror of my eye,
To see it like a star against the sky,
A twitching body quivering in space,
A spark of passion shining on my face.”
