AN ANALYSIS OF THE POEM IF YOU SHOULD GO BY COUNTEE CULLEN

A detailed Summary of AN ANALYSIS OF THE POEM IF YOU SHOULD GO BY COUNTEE CULLEN

In the poem 'If You Should Go', Countee Cullen emphasizes on the understanding of human joys and sorrows. The importance of joy is shown using different examples of joy such as love and dream. Both stanzas include a persons feeling or reactions towards joy during the happy moments as well as the feelings after the joyous moment is over.

In this poem, Cullen conveys several different messages. One of the themes of the poem is that one never realizes what one have until it is lost. In this case it refers to joyous moments. The second stanza the poet also tells the reader that joy makes a long lasting memory in ones mind which is seen in the person's personality or "the gleam on the [persons] face" (2. 7-8). Although, Cullen does not mention whom the love is towards in the first stanza and what

the dream is about in the second stanza the reader can interpret that as is said in a positive manner.

In the second stanza joy is given a much more positive response. Joy in this stanza is referred to as a pleasant dream. The not realization of the passing of the joys is said in this stanza. Here the poet says the joy does not leave a physical effect on the person and that the dream has just left a gleam across the dreamers face. This shows the second theme of the poem that joy makes a long lasting memory in ones mind when referred to the gleam on the dreamers face.

This poem makes the reader realize the importance of joy before it is gone. The poem also mentally prepares the reader to the sorrows that are struck after the joyful moments are over. The tone of the poem is positive. The kind

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Approximate Word count = 543
Approximate Pages = 2 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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