The Harlem Dancer

Katrina Williams

Dr. Dionne Felix

ENG252

November 2, 2010

The Harlem Dancer

The Harlem Dancer by the Harlem Renaissance poet Claude McKay is the epitome of the struggle of the African American community in Harlem and throughout the United States. McKay gives a glimpse into the life of not only a Harlem dancer, but also a struggling young black woman who dances to meet her needs. Since the setting of the poem is prior to the Harlem Renaissance, many African Americans had to struggle to make ends meet by doing odd jobs that they were not necessarily happy with but they were sustained by these jobs. Also, McKay presents the condition of the character from not only the main character’s point of view, but also her audience’s point of view. In showing the contrast between views, McKay created an even bigger picture and broader perspective to interpret the meaning of the poem. Furthermore, McKay conveys the meaning of this poem through various literary devices such as his use of imagery, characterization, and symbolism. Therefore, The Harlem Dancer has many meanings and can be interpreted piece by piece in greater depth.

First of all, the imagery in the poem is the very substance and life of the poem. The setting of the poem is in a Harlem night club and this is made evident by the imagery throughout the poem. The imagery gives a vivid picture of the appearance of both the young woman who is dancing and the environment in which she is dancing. For example, McKay describes the main character as well as the people around her in the poem when he talks about, “Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway; …” (Lines 1-2). This imagery of the characters brings meaning to the poem by showing how desperate the young black woman’s situation is because of the environment she works in. Also, another example of the imagery in the poem is McKay’s reference to the false-smile on the dancer’s face which implies that the young...