Keanu Gomez Assignment 3

In Claude McKay’s “The Harlem Dancer”, he describes a story centered on a mesmerizing female dancer with a distant tone. Most of the poem seems to describe all the attention being attracted by this female dancer, however some parts – especially the ending – infer a hidden message. The ethereal nature of the poem is captured by all the imagery describing the gracefulness and perfection of the dancer, along with the metaphor: “Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes.” This metaphor perfectly supports the end observation which claims that the dancer, while seemingly graceful and luxurious, seems distant from reality. By comparing her voice to “blended flutes”, the poet infers the multi-faceted identity of this dancer. The narrator or observer only takes note of the superficial aspects of the scene and ignores the underlying factors. As the description continues the distant tone is more evident as the observer notices the dancer’s further detachment as suggested by her “falsely-smiling face.” This distant tone is reflective of the racism towards black women who were commonly found in nightclubs like the setting of the poem.

My belief about art is most similar to Amy Lowell’s. I think that art is a way of expressing inner thoughts and emotions. It is the medium through which we can convey our feelings to others. As a pianist, I find myself having a natural affinity for slow, relaxing melodies and this aspect of my personality is shown to my audience whenever they listen to me play. I also agree with the second part of her quote because no matter what piece I am playing, my current reactions to the world and my immediate emotions are conveyed through the style of my playing. So if I am feeling anger or frustration, I play more heavily and even find myself ignoring the proper dynamics of the piece.