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Sonnet Villanelle Analysis

Prompt

Read "The White City" and answer the following questions.

  • Claude McKay was a native Black Jamaican who lived in New York City. Why does the speaker "hate" the city?
  • Traditionally sonnets originated as love poems. Why might McKay have cast this poem in sonnet form?
  • How does the city feed the speaker with "vital blood"?

Then read "Villanelle for an Anniversary" and answer the following questions.

  • How do the refrain lines of this villanelle help to reinforce its meaning?
  • How do you interpret the meaning of line 3 (in line 14)? What is the meaning of the phrase "grace or works"? How is this an important distinction?
  • What is the impact of the final stanza? What additional meanings have the refrain lines gathered at the end of the poem?

Response

"The White City"

  • The speaker hates the city due to feelings of social and racial separation, intensified by his experiences as a Black man in an early 20th-century urban American setting. This is shown through references to the urban environment as the "white world's hell," suggesting a harsh, hostile atmosphere that perpetuates his sense of exclusion and injustice.
  • McKay might have chosen the sonnet form to leverage its traditional connotations of love to create a stark contrast with his theme of hatred, thereby intensifying the emotional power of his critique. Additionally, the disciplined structure of a sonnet allows him to convey complex emotions and social commentary.
  • Despite his hatred, the city feeds the speaker with "vital blood" by serving as a source of creative and emotional fuel. The very aspects of the city that provoke his disdain also invigorate his spirit and artistic expression, proving that even negative experiences can be transformative and sustaining.

"Villanelle for an Anniversary"

  • The refrain lines, "A spirit moved, John Harvard walked the yard," and "The books stood open and the gates unbarred," emphasize the enduring presence of inspiration and opportunity. Their repetitive nature in the poem underscores the timeless availability of knowledge and the spirit of intellectual exploration, mirroring the cyclical nature of renewal and discovery.
  • "The books stood open and the gates unbarred" symbolizes unrestricted access to knowledge and opportunity, inviting an open, inclusive pursuit of learning. "By grace or works" explores whether achievements are due to divine providence or personal effort, highlighting a fundamental query about the nature of success and redemption in both secular and spiritual realms.
  • The final stanza calls for a renewal of efforts where past challenges were met, urging engagement with the spirit of discovery and resilience. The refrain lines evolve to act as a motivational echo, encouraging ongoing exploration and open-mindedness, thus shifting from historical reflection to a call to action for continual intellectual and spiritual engagement.