Lesson video

Hi, you've made it to lesson five of five about Claude McKay's poem "If We Must Die".

I'm so impressed by how far you've come, and I cannot wait for you to write all about it in today's lesson.

We're going to write an absolutely amazing essay, which will sum up everything we've learned about this brilliant poem.

So before we start, as ever, make sure you've got a pen and a paper, and you've cleared away any distractions.

Let's get started.

In our lesson today, we'll start as ever with a quick recap.

We'll go over the poem "If We Must Die", and then we'll ask what have we learnt about the poem using quick quiz questions to sum up what we've learnt.

We're then going to start to think about the essay we're going to write together.

And we'll think about what makes a really good essay.

We'll then plan our writing, and then it will be time for you to do that writing independently.

We're going to now listen to the poem for the last time.

"If we must die, let it not be like hogs hunted and penned in an inglorious spot, while round us bark the mad and hungry dogs, making their mock at our accursèd lot.

If we must die, O let us nobly die, so that our precious blood may not be shed in vain; then even the monsters we defy shall be constrained to honour us though dead! O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe! Though far outnumbered let us show us brave, and for their thousand blows deal one death-blow! What though before us lies the open grave? Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack, pressed to the wall, dying, but fighting back!" So let's go over what we've learnt about the poem so far.

Who wrote the poem and when? This is one is an easy one.

I except everyone to get this super fast.

But let's go through the options.

Option one, Claude McKay, 1919.

Option two, William Shakespeare, 1616.

Option three, Harlem Renaissance, 1919.

Option four, Claude McKay, 2020.

Okay, one, two, three, four, you can shout it out.

And of course, it's option one.

It was written by Claude McKay in 1919.

What is the context of the poem? I've put two in brackets here, because there are two correct answers.

So have a think about this one a bit more carefully.

Option one, written as part of the Italian Renaissance.

Option two, written about oppression.

Option three, written as a response to the Red Summer of racist riots and violence.

Option four, written at the start of the Harlem Renaissance.

So which two of those do you remember are the context, the background of the poem? And you're correct if you said options three and options four.

The context is the Red Summer and the Harlem Renaissance.

What is racial oppression? Is it option one, treating a group of people unfairly or cruelly because of their gender? Option two, treating any group of people unfairly or cruelly? Option three, treating a group of people unfairly or cruelly because of their religion? Option four, treating a group of people unfairly or cruelly because of the colour of their skin? If you said option four, you'd be correct.

The other options are all forms of oppression, but they're not racial oppression.

Racial oppression is treating a group of people unfairly or cruelly because of the colour of their skin.

Right, so what does the metaphor "mad and hungry dogs" suggest? You know this is a quote from the poem.

What does the metaphor "mad and hungry dogs" suggest? Is it option one, the bestial brutality of the oppressors? Option two, that the poem is about packs of dogs fighting? Option three, the dignified response of the oppressors? Or option four, that the oppressors are mad and hungry dogs? Which out of those four options do you think it is? If you said option one, you're correct.

The metaphor "mad and hungry dogs" does suggest the bestial brutality of the oppressors.

Which words can be used to describe the oppressed group? Option one, dignified, option two, vicious, option three, noble, option four, community.

There's a clue here in the question.

It says which words, so again, there's more than one right answer.

We'll have a think.

Option one, three, and four can all be used to describe the oppressed group.

It can be described as dignified, it can be described as noble, and they're a community.

So congratulations if you got any but particularly if you got all of those.

What type of poem is "If We Must Die"? Option one, a good one, option two, a sonnet, option three, a poem about oppression, option four, a ballad.

What type of poem is it? What form of poem is it? If you said option two, a sonnet, you'd be correct.

Now I might agree with option one, it is a good poem, but that's not the type of poem it is.

It's also about oppression, but again, not the type.

The type or the form of poem is a sonnet.

Why might McKay have written the poem? So we're asking why might McKay have written the poem.

From what we know, why might McKay have written the poem? So think back to what we've learnt about the poem, what we've learned about McKay, what we've learned about the context.

Option one, to make everyone start fighting.

Option two, to inspire his community to resist oppression with dignity.

Option three, to argue against war.

Option four, to make the reader feel very sad and lacking hope.

Have a think, which one of those do you think is the most likely explanation for why McKay might have written the poem? If you said option two, yes, you would be correct.

We can tell from the way that he talks about the poem that it's to inspire his community to resist oppression with dignity.

Right then, do we remember what Frank Harris, the magazine editor, said in reaction to the poem.

Was it option one, "That it's a great poem, authentic fire and blood; blood pouring from a bleeding heart." Option two, "It was the only poem I ever read to the members of my crew.

They were all agitated." Option three, "This is the strongest poem of resistance that has ever been written." Or option four, "I have never been so sure that a poem deserves to be in my magazine." Have a think, which one of those do you remember he said? He did say option one.

He said it was, "a great poem, authentic fire and blood; blood pouring from a bleeding heart." Option two is actually what Claude McKay said himself.

It was the only poem he ever read to the members of his crew, and they were all agitated.

Option one is what Frank Harris said.

Okay, now we've summed up what we've learnt, and the key points we've learnt over the last few lessons.

We're going to think about how we can bring these together in an essay looking at what the ingredients of a good essay are.

Well first of all, I don't want you to worry, okay.

I know sometimes, the word essay can sound a bit scary.

It means a short piece of formal writing on a particular subject.

In this case, we're going to answer the question, "How does McKay challenge oppression in "If We Must Die"? And hopefully, you're going to feel as happy as this man is when he is thinking about his essay.

You can see essay writing is a lot of fun.

Okay, so a good essay begins with an introduction.

Now an introduction includes these two things, a small amount of context about the poem.

So you don't want to write a huge paragraph all about the different things that were happening at the time the poem was written.

You do want to introduce a few bits of information.

So these things are the kinds of things you might write about.

You might write about when it was written in 1919.

You probably would mention it's written by Claude McKay, and you might mention the Harlem Renaissance and the Red Summer, as those were both important parts of contextual information.

And then you'd include a short explanation of how you're going to answer the question.

Again, notice the word here short.

We don't want a whole essay explaining how you're going to answer the question and then another essay actually answering it.

So we just want a few sentences, a short paragraph, which explains how you'll answer the question.

And in this example, the things we're going to look at to help answer the question is how McKay uses form, imagery, and structure.

Number one, each paragraph makes a new point, which answers the question.

So every single paragraph has to say something slightly new, but it still has to be answering the question.

So you can't repeat the same points over your paragraphs, and you also need to make sure that you stick to answering the question.

There are lots of exciting things you might want to write about this poem, about Claude McKay, all the amazing things you know, but we've got to keep it really closely focused on the question itself.

So that's the first thing we need to do to make sure our paragraphs are correct.

The second thing you need to do is to signpost to show how we're moving through our argument.

Now this doesn't mean you're actually giving directions.

Don't tell people to turn left or right.

But you are telling them what is your first point, and now this is another point you're making, and this might be your last point.

So you can use words like this, firstly, secondly, thirdly, or if its your last point, finally.

So in our essay, we're going to use signposting, and we're going to use words to show the reader where we're going with our argument.

The third thing you need to do is make sure that each paragraph includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

I'm going to explain what these look like a little bit further.

So the topic sentence, and let's just move myself down here, a topic sentence is a sentence which explains the point you are going to make and answers the question.

So remember, for each paragraph, you're making a new point that's answering the question, so you need to start that new paragraph with a sentence, which explains the point you're making and how it answers the question.

Then after you've done that sentence, you need supporting details.

Supporting details means evidence from the text or the context, so often it's quotations from, in this case the poem, or a bit of detail from the context, and it's used to support the point you're making.

You also need to explain why it supports that point.

So we're going to probably plan to get three different pieces of evidence or three different quotations as our supporting details.

And then you're going to end your sentence with a concluding sentence, so a sentence which sums up the points you've made.

Now don't panic.

I've said here, and I mean it, because we're going to look at this really closely together when we're planning the essay.

So this is a brief introduction, but later in the lesson, we'll go through it step by step.

Our point number four is that supporting details, we've looked at what those are, those quotations and bits of evidence, should include embedded quotations.

And we're going to explain what an embedded quotation is now.

So embedded quotation is a quotation which is included within a sentence so that the sentence makes sense as a whole.

So the first example is not an embedded quotation.

If we were saying the sentence, "McKay uses bestial metaphors in his poem to describe the brutality of the oppressors, he says they are, 'mad and hungry dogs' and 'monsters'", we're kind of adding those quotations on to the end of that sentence.

But in the second sentence, we're including quotations within our sentence.

So, "McKay uses the bestial metaphors 'mad and hungry dogs' and 'monsters' to describe the oppressors whose brutality must be challenged." Now this is a better sentence, because the quotations are included within, feels much more natural, it feels like you have real ownership of the poem.

So when we're doing our paragraphs, we're going to try and include those embedded quotations, try to include quotations within our sentences.

Right, so those are the four points.

First of all, each paragraph makes a new point, which answers the question.

Secondly, we use signposting, to bring us that firstly, secondly, thirdly, or lastly, to show how we're moving through our argument.

Thirdly, each paragraph includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

And fourth and finally, supporting details include embedded quotations.

And then we're going to end our essay with a conclusion.

And a conclusion is a summary of your argument.

It's the answer to the question.

So if we think about the question we're going to answer, we might sum it up like this.

"In conclusion, McKay's poem challenges oppression but also shows the tragic consequences for the oppressed groups." So we're talking about how we challenge oppression, but also we're telling the reader that he shows the tragic consequences.

We also want to include a powerful closing statement to really end the essay with a powerful bang.

So, "magazine editor Frank Harris captured this on his first read of the poem, where he told McKay, 'That's a great poem, authentic fire and blood; blood pouring from a bleeding heart.

' 'If We Must Die' sets a challenge which is both powerful and painful." So in there, we've included that quotation from Frank Harris to really sum up the poem, and we've added our own sentence to say, "'If We Must Die' sets a challenge which is both powerful and painful." So we've summed up what we think about the poem, having.

So that's how you might end your essay.

We're now going to plan the writing.

So we're going to plan this essay together.

We'll do it step by step, so don't worry.

Okay, how does McKay challenge oppression in "If We Must Die"? Well the context is going to help us to know why he's challenging it, right.

We know that what was going on at the time, we know about the Red Summer, we know about the racial oppression happening in America.

So we know why he's challenging it.

But this question's asking us how does he challenge it? So what form of poem does he use and why, what imagery does he use and why, and what structural techniques does he use and why? Okay, so here's the question again, how does McKay challenge oppression in "If We Must Die"? This is the question we're answering today.

It might be a good idea now to pause and write this question down.

Let's also include it on your worksheet.

This is how we're going to structure our essay.

We're going to have our introduction, where it includes some context and explaining what you're going to argue.

Then our paragraph one is going to explain how McKay uses the sonnet form to challenge oppression.

In our second paragraph, we're going to explain how McKay uses imagery, specifically metaphors and sounds to challenge oppression.

In paragraph three, we're going to explain how McKay uses the Volta, that turning point, and the rhyme scheme to challenge oppression.

And our conclusion, we're going to sum up how you think McKay challenges oppression in the poem.

Okay, let's start with our introduction.

I've given you here a framework for an introduction.

So you can either write your own introduction if you feel confident in how you want to answer this question, or you can use this one and fill in the gaps.

So I want you to pause the video now, either write this down filling in the gaps or write your own introduction.

So you might have written something like this.

"McKay's 1919 poem "If We Must Die" is considered by many to represent the beginning of the Harlem Renaissance.

It symbolises the continued struggle against oppression experienced by many Americans of African descent, as well as the voice of self-empowerment that black Americans expressed through art, literature, and music.

In the poem, McKay uses a variety of imagery, along with the sonnet form and structure to highlight the realities of racial oppression and challenge its denial of black humanity." That's a really strong introduction.

So if you want to write that one down, you can.

If you've got one of your own that you think is just as good, brilliant.

Okay, in paragraph one, we're going to explain how McKay uses the sonnet form to challenge oppression.

So our first paragraph is focusing on form, what form of poetry does he use? I've put the poem on here, so you can have a look at it and help you remember, and I've put some things along the side.

So I've told you that we might focus on rhyme and metre in here.

But at the top, in that green box at the top, I want you to put what form of poem is this.

So think back, think what you remember about the poem, what form of poem is this? So I want you to write down what form of poem this is.

I also want you to write down why he's using this form, why he's using this type of rhyme and metre.

So I've given you a couple of ideas there.

Tradition, he might be doing it because of the fact that we know it's a traditional form.

He might be doing it to show a dignified or heroic resistance.

But what are two other reasons that we've looked at as to why he might be using this form, this rhyme and metre? So pause the video now, and see if you can think of what those might be.

Okay, so if you said it's a Shakespearean sonnet, that's brilliant.

If you just said it was a sonnet, that's still pretty good, but you can always add in Shakespearean now.

So other words you might have used to describe why he uses this might be words like conflict.

Remember, we talked about a sonnet has internal conflict.

He might be using that, might be playing with that, to reflect the external racial conflict.

It also might be that it's very controlled.

So a sonnet is controlled, it's tightly controlled in terms of it's rhyme and metre.

And that allows him to express a controlled response to this violence and oppression.

So if you didn't get those words, write them down now.

I also want you to have a look at the poem and see if there are any quotations from it that would support any of these points.

So can you find any important rhymes in here that might support the idea that perhaps there is conflict in the poem.

Can you see any rhymes in here that might suggest that he's using a controlled rhyme scheme for a particular reason? So have a look now and see if there are any quotations in this poem, which might support any of the points you've made.

We'll pause the video now.

Right, we're going to look at how we might structure this into a paragraph.

So I talked to you before about how each paragraph contains a topic sentence, some supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

The one I've done for you here is I've given you the topic sentence, the opening sentence, and the concluding sentence.

If you feel comfortable to write your own, you'd like to have a go, that's absolutely fine, but I've given you them here in case you weren't sure what to do.

So the topic sentence I've chosen is this.

"Firstly, McKay uses the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form and structure to show the dignified voice of the oppressed and challenge the lack of humanity they face." So I'm really saying there that he's challenging his oppression by using this traditional form.

He's challenging it by showing you that the oppressed have a very dignified voice.

I'm concluding it by saying, "We can see that McKay uses the tight framework of the sonnet to explore what might happen if the 'men' of the poem broke free from oppression by 'fighting back'." Now what I need to do is gather some supporting details.

I've added some for you, and I want you to find the rest.

So my first supporting detail is something that shows me the conflict.

So I reminded myself that instead of traditional inner conflict that happens in a sonnet, he's shown a controlled response to external conflict.

So I'm making a note that the detail here, it supports my argument why he's using this sonnet form, is that he's playing with this idea of traditional inner conflict to show controlled response to external conflict.

Now two other supporting details I need are something that explains why it might be considered heroic.

So you might want to think about the context.

What was happening at the time the poem that we might associate with the word heroic? Think particularly about McKay's community.

And then your supporting detail number three is about the rhyme pairs.

Now remember, we've talked before about some of the rhymes that McKay's used, and in particularly, what he's paired rhymes.

And his paired words show on one hand, the oppression and the threat of death, and on the other hand, the fighting back.

So I want you to count some words to rhyme pairs that explain that contrast between the oppression and the fighting back.

So pause the video now.

As always, we'll check through this if you're not sure.

Okay, so you might have got something like this.

For the supporting detail for heroic, we might have said it was similar to the African-American soldiers coming back from war.

We remembered that in the context we were told about, African-American soldiers coming back from war, they had been heroes at war, and suddenly, they came back, and they were treated really badly.

They were oppressed, experienced racism.

Your rhyme pairs, you might remember these particular rhymes, die and defy, brave and grave, back and pack.

And we remember that both show this resistance to oppression.

We're going to write a little note for ourselves there.

So this is our plan for our first paragraph.

In our second paragraph, paragraph two, we're going to explain how McKay uses imagery, specifically metaphors and sounds to challenge oppression.

So I want you to work out what is the imagery that he uses in the poem and why.

Now I've left quite a few blanks here, because this is something we went through, and we looked at language in the poem.

There are two particular types of imagery that I want you to focus on.

I want you to think what might those images be? I also want you to think about what those images might be suggesting, why he might be using them.

I've given you one example here, which is dignified and noble.

So remember, there was some images in the poem which were used to suggest the dignified and noble nature of his community.

What other reasons does he use his images that he does? So have a look at the poem now, pause the screen, and answer these.

So perhaps you picked out these two types of imagery, the use of metaphors and similes and the use of plosives.

You might have put sound, which is fine, but you clearly want to add in the word plosives to remind yourself to add that detail.

And a plosive if we remember are those letters, that P and D and G, which we kind of spit out.

And why did he use them? Well remember that he was describing the oppressors as bestial, that they were acting like animals, they lacked humanity, and he used metaphors to do that.

He was also using those kind of metaphors to show the brutal behaviour of the oppressors and the idea of brutality more generally.

And the use of plosives were there to create those kind of harsh and violent sounds.

So these might be some of the things that you noted down when you were thinking about the imagery he uses and why he uses those images.

I want you to pause the video now to pick some quotations which show these images.

So which quotations show bestial metaphors? Which quotations show words that use harsh and violent plosives? Which quotations show metaphors that perhaps show the dignified or noble nature of the oppressed group? Have a look at the poem, pause now, and pick some quotations to use.

We are now going to plan our second paragraph.

So again, I've given you a topic sentence and a concluding sentence.

And again, if you feel really confident, and you want to do your own, that is absolutely brilliant, and I'm really happy for you to do that.

But if you're still wanting a bit more support, that's okay too.

It's our first essay we've written together.

So we're going to look at a topic sentence that says this, "Secondly," and I'm signposting here, "McKay challenges oppression through his use of imagery of humanity to describe the speaker's community and bestial brutality to describe the oppressors." And our concluding sentence is, "The poem shows solidarity in the face of this violence and emphasises the dignity of the African-American community who face this oppression." And we're going to pick three quotations which back up what we're saying in this paragraph.

Those probably should be the three quotations that you just noted down when we looked at the last slide.

So pause now, write down that topic sentence, or create your own, write down the three supporting details, and write down a concluding sentence, or create your own.

So we should have a paragraph two now that looks a bit like this.

In our supporting details, we might have used for our first example any one of these quotations, "mad and hungry dogs", "monsters", "murderous, cowardly pack", because they all show a lack of humanity.

We might have also for number two used some examples that show the humane nature of the oppressed group, of McKay's community.

So you might have used quotations like "pressed the wall" or "precious blood", which show they're dignified and noble.

And finally, we might have picked out some of those really harsh sounds, "bark" and "mock", which contain plosives that are harsh and violent.

So if you didn't get these, there's a chance now to pause the video and write them down.

If you did get them, or if you got a few different ones, that's fine too.

You can still pause and write down anything you need to now.

In paragraph three, we're going to explain how McKay uses the Volta and the question and answer in the poem to challenge oppression.

So I'm asking here what structural techniques does he use, and there are two, I just mentioned them.

So this isn't a trick.

I want you to remember what those two structural techniques are that we're looking at when we're looking at the structure of this poem and how he challenges oppression.

We're also thinking about why he uses them.

So I've given you two examples here, a call to action and for freedom.

What other reasons might he use those two structural techniques? So pause now and have a go.

So you probably should have picked up that he uses a Volta, a turning point, and a question and answer.

And we can say that he uses those as a call to action.

You could also say he uses those for resistance, power, and freedom.

Remember, this is an inspiring poem.

He's trying to encourage his community to fight back.

You can now pause the video to pick a few quotations which support the points you're making here.

So have a look, where's the Volta? Write that quotation down.

You can also pick out the question and answer.

You don't need to write out all of that question and answer, but pick the best bits.

All right, so we're going to plan our last paragraph, paragraph three, and this one, as we've said, is on structure.

So again, I've created a topic sentence and a concluding sentence, or you've created your own.

In my topic sentence, I said, "Lastly, McKay uses the structure of the poem to challenge the reader to stand up against oppression." and I'm going to pick three quotations here.

One quotation is going to be an example that shows the Volta.

One's going to be one that shows the question and one that shows the answer, and once again, I'm going to write down some notes and those supporting details to explain why those things are important.

What they tell us about how he's challenging oppression.

And my concluding sentence is, "This is powerful because of the tragic acceptance that the oppressed in this case will still die." I've got a second concluding sentence here, "It also provides a message of resistance, power, and freedom in the face of violence." So I've decided to use two sentences in this paragraph to really sum up what I'm trying to say.

So have a go now, write down what you think the supporting details are to answer this question and support this paragraph.

So you probably chose these ones.

The Volta, that call to action, is the line, "O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe." The question is, "What though before us lies the open grave?" And you might suggest that that is implying freedom.

Actually, if they stop being scared of death, and they think about the fact they need to resist and just stand up, then actually, they're free.

And the last example is "fighting back", and that shows resistance.

So those are supporting details you could have used.

Then we go to our conclusion.

So I've created a simple conclusion for you.

It's what we went through in the, earlier in the lesson.

So you can either use this one, or you can create your own.

So you can pause the video now to copy it down, or you can create a version of your own.

We've now got all the ingredients you need to write your essay.

You can look at the worksheet and download that, and that's got all of the quotations and all the things we've planned together that you can use to write the essay.

Right, we need to have a go now at writing out the whole essay yourself.

I really think you can do it.

Don't worry.

We'll go through some example answers at the end.

So just to remind you, this is what you're doing.

This is the essay plan.

How does McKay challenge oppression in "If We Must Die"? These are the steps you need to follow.

So you need to write out your introduction, so you might have done that already, fantastic.

You've already got one step done.

Number two, you use your notes from paragraph one to write a paragraph on how McKay uses the sonnet form to challenge oppression.

So you now need to write a full paragraph, which means not just notes but actually full sentences.

Then step three, use your notes from paragraph two to write a paragraph on how McKay uses imagery, metaphors and sounds, to challenge oppression.

Step four, use the notes to write a paragraph on paragraph three on how McKay uses structural techniques, the Volta, the question and answer, to challenge oppression.

And then write out your conclusion, and again, if you've done that already, great.

You can just piece it all together.

Once you've done all of this, you can resume the video, and we'll check through your work.

Good luck.

All right, let's check your work.

So how does McKay's poem "If We Must Die" challenge oppression? So we probably all wrote down this introduction, and perhaps you actually created your own, which might be even better than mine.

Fantastic.

Right, paragraph one.

So this would be an example of a good answer.

"Firstly, McKay uses the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form and structure to show the dignified voice of the oppressed and challenge the lack of humanity they face.

McKay turns the sonnet form on its head by using it to show an external conflict, in response to the mass violence and racist riots of the Red Summer.

McKay also uses paired rhymes: 'die'-'defy', 'brave'-'grave', 'pack'-'back', to show the danger and the importance of challenging oppression.

We can see that McKay uses the tight framework of the sonnet to explore what might happen if the 'men' of the poem broke free from oppression by 'fighting back'." And if you've got something like this, that's a good answer.

Well done.

If you wanted to write a really great answer though, you might have written something like this.

This adds a little bit more detail.

It thinks about the poem a little bit more and picks out some other examples that I hadn't mentioned earlier.

"Firstly, McKay uses the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form and structure to show the dignified voice of the oppressed and challenge the lack of humanity they face.

The sonnet form is most commonly known as a love poem with a tight structure and an inner conflict.

McKay turns this on its head by using the sonnet form to convey an external conflict, in response to the mass violence and riots of the Red Summer.

These riots followed the return of black American soldiers from serving their country in war.

When they arrived home, instead of a hero's welcome, they were subjected to racism and oppression.

Although McKay does not make the racial identities explicit in his poem, he explores the emotions at the heart of these conflicts through the use of a heroic sonnet.

The use of the traditional rhyme-scheme also allows McKay to explore powerful ideas and emotions in a controlled manner.

For instance, the pairing of these rhymes: 'die'-'defy', 'brave'-'grave', 'pack'-'back', shows the danger and the importance of challenging oppression.

We can see that McKay uses the tight framework of the sonnet to explore what might happen if the 'men' of the poem broke free from oppression by 'fighting back'." Again, you wouldn't have written exactly the same as this, but if you've added in those extra details, then really good, that's a great answer.

Okay, so paragraph two, what might you have written? This would be another good answer.

"Secondly, McKay challenges oppression through his use of imagery of humanity to describe the speaker's community and bestial brutality to describe the oppressors.

The oppressors are 'mad and hungry dogs', they are 'monsters' whose brutality makes them lack humanity.

The plosives of 'bark' and 'mock' also emphasise the harsh violence of the oppressors.

In contract, McKay presents the noble and heroic imagery of the oppressed whose blood is 'precious' and whose death the oppressors will have to 'honour'.

The poem shows solidarity in the face of this bestiality and emphasises the dignity of the American-American community who faces oppression." Again, you wouldn't have written exactly the same as that, but if you've got something similar, that's really good.

So what would a great answer been like? Well, a great answer might look like this.

"Secondly, McKay challenges oppression through his use of imagery of humanity to describe the speaker's community and bestial brutality to describe the oppressors.

The oppressors are 'mad and hungry dogs', they are 'monsters' whose brutality makes them lack humanity.

The plosives of 'bark' and 'mock' also emphasise the harsh violence of the oppressors.

In contract, McKay presents the noble and heroic imagery of the oppressed whose blood is 'precious' and whose death the oppressors will have to 'honour'.

He shows the realities of racial violence when he describes them as 'men' with an 'accursed lot' who are 'pressed to the wall'.

They are vulnerable as well as heroic and this makes them human as well as honourable, which contrasts starkly with the image of the 'murderous, cowardly, pack'.

The poem shows solidarity in the face of this bestiality and emphasises the dignity of the African-American community who face this oppression." So you can see there, I added a few more quotations to really emphasise what I'm trying to say.

That's what makes it a great answer.

Okay, paragraph three.

So a good answer would be something like this.

"Lastly, McKay uses the structure of the poem to challenge the reader to stand up against oppression.

The Volta, which unusually falls in line nine of the poem, 'O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe!' is a call to action.

McKay then asks the question in line 12, 'What though before us lies the open grave?' and answers this in the final couplet: they will still die but they will die 'fighting back'.

This use of question and answer gives the reader the answer for again they must challenge oppression even in the face of death.

This is powerful because of the tragic acceptance that the oppressed in this case will still die.

It also provides a message of resistance, power, and freedom in the face of violence." Again, if you wrote something like that, good answer.

Let's have a look now at the great answer.

"Lastly, McKay uses the structure of the poem to challenge the reader to stand up against oppression.

The Volta, which unusually falls in line nine of the poem, 'O kinsmen! We must meet the common foe!' is an imperative and a call to action.

We are told that those who are oppressed, and therefore those who support them, must not be afraid to defend themselves or defend others against this violence." So we're adding a bit more detail there about of the poem.

"McKay then asks the question in line 12, 'What though before us lies the open grave?' and answers this in the final couplet: they will still die but they will die 'fighting back'.

This use of question and answer gives the reader the answer that again they must challenge oppression even in the face of death.

This is powerful because of the tragic acceptance that the oppressed in this case will still die.

It also provides a message of resistance, power, and freedom in the face of violence." And then finally, we end it with our conclusion, and this is the one that I provided, but you might have done one yourself.

And that's our essay, done.

So time to celebrate.

You managed to write a really good essay.

Fantastic work.

Well done.

Well that's it.

We're done.

Five lessons on "If We Must Die" completed.

Congratulations for making it this far.

Really proud of you and all the work that you've done.

I hope you get a chance to share that work.

You can ask a parent or carer to share it @OakNational.

Well done.

It's been great working with you.

Bye.