Any+Human+to+Another

"Any Human to Another" p.942 by: Countee Cullen  How it all started with Countee Cullen media type="file" key="Countee Cullen.m4a" width="60" height="28"

 "Any Human to Another" uses metaphors to compare characteristics. For example, "My sorrow must be laid on your head like a crown" (942). Not only does this poem use metaphors, but also similes. "Like a sea and river", (942) is an example of how he displays similes.

  "Any Human to Another" and its meaning media type="file" key="countee cullen5.mov"

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 Views On The Poem

“Any Human to Another” is a poem whose basic meaning is that although everyone may seem different, they all need to act alike and as one for everyone to be happy. There are a few examples of this. People must work together if they want to be happy. For example, “Your grief and mine must intertwine.” (942, lines 7 & 8) This is saying that if one person is mad then everyone is. Also, in that case you have to come together to be happy again. Another example is “Let no man be so proud and confident, to think he is allowed a little tent pitched in a meadow of sun and shadow all his little own.” (942, lines 13-19) This is saying that no man can work alone to create happiness. Everyone must work together for it to be successful. Also, joy and happiness may be more rare to see then is sorrow, but if you come together it can be accomplished. “Joy may be shy, unique, friendly to a few, sorrow never scorned to speak” (942 lines 20-22) is an example of that. The poem “Any Human to Another” is a poem that tells exactly what it takes to create happiness.

“Any Human to Another,” written by Countee Cullen, comes off to me as a sad poem. It seems as if when this poem was written, he was filled with a lot of sadness. He does not want anyone to have more power over him. For example, “Let no man be so proud” (942). This however, states he wants no man to be more liked. On the other hand, I believe this poem shows everyone is different in some ways. Lines 20-22 state, “Joy may be shy, unique, friendly to a few, Sorrow never scorned to speak”, which to me explains that different things make others happy. This poem, however, I believe may mean different things to everyone, but my thoughts are stated above.

What is the form and the devices of sound?

The stanzas in the poem have different numbers of lines. Some of them have six lines while others have more or less. The stanzas could be made out as being a complete thought, or the whole poem could be made out as being a complete thought. Each stanza has its own distinct rhyme scheme (abccab, aabccb, ababccd, and abacabc). The theme of the poem is that all are created equal. Each stanza presents this in a different way. The poem has regular verse because it has both rhythm and rhyme. An example of assonance is "Like an arrow, pierce to the marrow" (942 lines 5 & 6). The poem is written with parallelism. The grammatical orientation of the poem is almost the same throughout.

 Genre & Other Elements

The poem "Any Human to Another" is considered to be a lyrical poem. The speaker of the poem is Countee Cullen. He is trying to make a point that everyone should be treated the same way. The poem expresses emotion in many ways. For example, "The ills I sorrow at, Not me alone" (942). This shows emotion by explaining that when he is sad, he is not alone. The overall mood of the poem is sad. The themes of the poem are Identity, Civil Rights, and Ethics.

 Bibliography

http://home.mctc.mnscu.edu/~creelgi/2232/cullen.jpg 