Yet Do I Marvel
By Countee Cullen
I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind,
And did He stoop to quibble could tell why
The little buried mole continues blind,
Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die,
Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus
Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare
If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus
To struggle up a never-ending stair.
Inscrutable His ways are, and immune
To catechism by a mind too strewn
With petty cares to slightly understand
What awful brain compels His awful hand.
Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:
To make a poet black and bid him sing!
Summary of Yet Do I Marvel
- Popularity of “Yet Do I Marvel”: Written by a Harlem icon, Countee Cullen, an African American poet, this beautiful sonnet first appeared in 1925. It was the collection of his poems, Color, published in 1925, contained this sonnet. Although this reminds the readers of Wordsworth and Blake, it has its own class and style. The beauty of the poem lies in the amazement of the poet over heavenly bliss on him to write beautiful verses.
- “Yet Do I Marvel” As a Representative of God’s Kindness: Countee Cullen, the speaker of the sonnet, showers huge praises on God, saying that he has no doubt about the capabilities of God, His attributes, His intentions, His love, and His blessings. The poet knows that God, had he been on the earth, would have explained the reason behind several inexplicable phenomena, such as the mole burrowing in the dirt or the torture of Tantalus, or the cruelty toward Sisyphus. The poet goes on to say that such ways of God are inexplicable and that human beings are unable to comprehend these issues. In fact, the poet is of the view that human beings consider these things trivial, but he marvels at God’s blessing upon him that he is able to write such good poetry.
- Major Themes in “Yet Do I Marvel”: Gratitude toward God, amazement at God’s creation, and blessings of God are major themes of this sonnet. The poet has beautifully enumerated the wonders created by God and has thanked Him by the end that He has blessed him with such a creative faculty that he is able to create beautiful poetry. However, he simultaneously feels amazed at God’s different creations, saying that he provides sense to a mole, reason to Tantalus, and debacle to Sisyphus. Yet His actions provide him food for amazement but are trivial for the general mankind. In fact, these are blessings of God, and only God is able to explain them. The poet feels amazed because he is sure that it is a marvel that God has blessed him with such a faculty that he is able to create wonderful poetry. That is why he thinks that he is also an achievement of God.
Analysis of Literary Devices Used in Yet Do I Marvel
Countee Cullen used various literary devices to enhance the impact of his poem. Some of the major literary devices in this sonnet are as follows.
- Allusion: It means to use references from society, history, or culture to stress upon the main idea. The poet has used allusion to Greek mythology, such as Tantalus and Sisyphus.
- Alliteration: It means to use initial consonants in successive words. The poem shows the use of consonant sounds, such as /d/ in “ day die” and /f/ in “fickle fruit.”
- Assonance: Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /i/ and /o/ in “I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind” and the sound of /e/ and /a/ in “Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die.”
- Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /r/ and /m/ in “Why flesh that mirrors Him must someday die” and the sound of /f/ and /r/ in “Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare.”
- Imagery: Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Countee Cullen used imagery in this poem, such as “Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die”, “To struggle up a never-ending stair” and “What awful brain compels His awful hand.”
- Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects that are different. The poet used the metaphor flesh as a human being.
- Personification: It means to attribute human emotions to inanimate objects. The poet has used the personification of the brain that is compelled.
- 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 mole, flesh, Tantalus, and Sisyphus to show the poet’s amazement at God’s works.
Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in Yet Do I Marvel
Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.
- Diction: It means the type of language. The poem shows good use of formal, poetic, and melodic diction.
- End Rhyme: It means to use verses having matching end words. Countee Cullen shows the use of end rhyme such as kind/blind and why/die.
- Quatrain: It is a Persian stanza having four verses. The poem shows the use of a quatrain such as the first stanza.
- Rhyme Scheme: This poem shows the rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD in its octave and EFEFGG in its sestet.
- Poem: This is a fourteen-lined poem. Therefore, it is a sonnet.
- Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are two stanzas; the first is an octave comprising eight verses and the second sestet comprising six verses as shown in Rhyme Scheme.
- Tone: It means the voice of the text. The poem shows an amazed, wonderful, and admiring tone.
Quotes to be Used
The following lines are useful to quote when talking about God and His acts.
I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind,
And did He stoop to quibble could tell why
The little buried mole continues blind,
Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die.