Countee Cullen (Countee Leroy Porter, 1903–1946) was one of the foremost poets of the Harlem Renaissance, the movement of African American writers, musicians, and artists centered in the Harlem section of New York City during the 1920s. Beginning with his university years, Cullen strove to establish himself as an author of romantic poetry on abstract, universal topics such as love and death. Believing poetry should consist of "lofty thoughts beautifully expressed," Cullen preferred controlled poetic forms. He used European forms such as sonnets and devices such as quatrains, couplets, and conventional rhyme, and he frequently employed classical allusions and Christian religious imagery, which were most likely the product both of his university education and of his upbringing as the adopted son of a Methodist Episcopal reverend.
Explicit references to racial matters do in fact decline in Cullen's later work, but not because he felt any less passionately about these matters. Rather, Cullen increasingly focused on the religious dimension of his poetry. In "The Black Christ," in which the poet imagines the death and resurrection of a rural African American, and "Heritage," which expresses the tension between the poet's identification with Christian traditions and his desire to stay close to his African heritage, Cullen's thoughts on race were subsumed within what he conceived of as broader and more urgent questions about the suffering and redemption of the soul. Nonetheless, Cullen never abandoned his commitment to the importance of racial issues, reflecting on one occasion that he felt "actuated by a strong sense of race consciousness" that "grows upon me, I find, as I grow older."
Based on the passage, the
It demonstrates that European verse forms can be successfully adapted to different contexts.
Strongly supported. These critics think Cullen, a Harlem renaissance poet, does a good job of capturing the atmosphere of a style of poetry from another time and place (namely, English ballads from past centuries).
It is most notable for the ways in which its content reflects Cullen's upbringing and education.
Unsupported. There’s no consideration of Cullen’s upbringing or education in what these critics have to say.
It is more successful when it does not attempt to capture the atmosphere of previous poetic styles.
Anti-supported. The critics think Cullen does a good job of capturing the atmosphere of a previous poetic style. It’s one of the things they like about his work. Nothing suggests they think he’d be more successful by not attempting to do so.
Its reliance on European verse forms is best suited to dealing with racial concerns.
Unsupported. There’s no consideration of subject matter in what these critics have to say. They just talk about the poetic techniques Cullen uses.
Its focus is divided between aesthetic and racial concerns.
Unsupported. This is the view of