On the one hand, the "cultured" in "cultured hell" confirms America's achievements, anticipating the "wonders" and "priceless treasures" at the end of the poem and countering any Eliotic notion of modernity as a cultural wasteland. Yet the "hell"...
America (Claude McKay poem) study guide contains a biography of Claude McKay, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.