If We Must Die Essay Questions

What is the significance of the sonnet form to "If We Must Die"?

McKay's use of the sonnet form lends the poem a sense of grandeur and classicism, appropriate to the notions of nobility and heroism the speaker aims to inspire. At the same time, however, McKay pushes against the conventions of the sonnet by using the collective "we" instead of the personal "I," addressing his sonnet not to a personal beloved or a single hero but to an entire group. While traditional forms like the sonnet were uncommon among most modernist writers, McKay finds in the sonnet a kind of freedom in confinement and a kind of radicalism in traditionalism that reflect the poem's themes of freedom and resistance and give the poem a "timeless" aesthetic with wide-ranging appeal.

How does the speaker make his case for "fighting back"?

The speaker builds his argument slowly over the course of the poem, first describing how they should not die, then describing how they should, and finally rousing them to action. With carefully modulated language and direct addresses to his compatriots ("O, kinsmen"), the speaker attempts to build a sense of camaraderie that will inspire his fellows to work together. And, finally, the speaker appeals not to survival instincts but to more "elevated" ideals of glory and honor, suggesting that they do have control over how they die and thus should attain a worthy death by fighting back.

How does the speaker employ gendered language in the poem?

The poem's gendered implications begin in the first line with the word "hogs," which often refers to castrated male pigs. The speaker encourages his allies to fight back so that they do not go out like emasculated men or animals, but instead "like men." His direct address to his "kinsmen" also makes this a literal address to men and not simply an appeal to a gendered logic of heroism in combat.

How does the poem address the problems of fate and free will?

The "if" in the poem's title at once recognizes the fact of impending death and subtly indicates that this is not "fate" but rather the product of conditions that have forced them into this situation. Facing death, the speaker argues that they nevertheless have a choice in how they will die, and he works to lay out the options and the consequences of their choice in the rest of the poem. By constructing his sonnet as an address rather than a plan or a demand, McKay also allows his audience a sense of freedom as well, aiming to convince them through appeal rather than impel them through force.

How does the speaker characterize his enemies, and why?

While the speaker's characterizations shift over the course of the poem (dogs, monsters, foe, pack), the extended metaphor of his enemies as vicious predators remains throughout. Besides its obvious indication of the enemy's brutality, this description also invokes the poem's conceptions of humanity and masculinity, encouraging the "kinsmen" to realize their potential by standing up to their foe. This strongly Manichean, good vs. evil characterization also works as a rhetorical technique, creating an easily comprehensible situation of us vs. them and allowing the speaker to appeal strongly to his audience's emotions.