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By Countee Cullen. (For Harold Jackman) What is Africa to me: Copper sun or scarlet sea, Jungle star or jungle track, Strong bronzed men, or regal black. Women from whose loins I sprang. When the birds of Eden sang? One three centuries removed. From the scenes his fathers loved, Spicy grove, cinnamon tree, What is Africa to me?
Countee Cullen is one of the most representative voices of the Harlem Renaissance. His life story is essentially a tale of youthful exuberance and talent of a star that flashed across the African American firmament and then sank toward the horizon.
From The Book of American Negro Poetry (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1922) edited by James Weldon Johnson. This poem is in the public domain. Born on May 30, 1903, in New York City, Countee Cullen was one of the most important voices of the Harlem Renaissance.
Cullen's poetry "Heritage" and "Dark Tower" reflect ideas of the Negritude movement. These poems examine African roots and intertwine them with a fresh aspect of African-American life. Cullen's work intersects with the Harlem community and such prominent figures of the Renaissance as Duke Ellington and poet and playwright Langston Hughes.
Heritage is a poem by Countee Cullen (1903–1946) that explores his identity as an African-American and his connection to Africa. The poem uses trochaic meter, contrasts, and imagery to express his conflicted feelings and his sense of alienation.
Heritage is a poem by Countee Cullen that explores his African heritage and his struggle with his identity as a black American. The poem expresses his longing for Africa, his rejection of Christianity, and his fear of his own pride and blood.
He feels his heritage call to him in the night, in the rain, and from within his converted soul. He faces a personal struggle as he attempts to balance the need to explore his heritage with the desire to dwell in his new faith. He concludes in victory, being an intelligent, civilized creation.
