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Difficulty: MediumThe Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

Read the following excerpt from Countee Cullen's poem "Yet Do I Marvel" (1925):

> "Inscrutable His ways, and immune to catechism,
> Who in His wrath can cast a double shadow,
> Make man's flesh frail, and then, to crown it all,
> With what is more than human, put a soul
> To sing, and yet to bid him sing in vain?
> Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:
> To make a poet black, and bid him sing!"

Which of the following best describes how the excerpt reflects a central tension of the New Negro Movement?

  1. It highlights the paradox of expressing profound creative genius and humanity within a society that systemically denies Black humanity.Answer
  2. B
    It argues that Black artists can only find true creative and personal freedom by emigrating to Africa or the Caribbean.
  3. C
    It reinforces Booker T. Washington's strategy of prioritizing agricultural and industrial labor over intellectual and artistic pursuits.
  4. D
    It blames the lack of Black literary recognition solely on Southern de jure segregation laws, ignoring systemic issues in the North.

Answer

It highlights the paradox of expressing profound creative genius and humanity within a society that systemically denies Black humanity.
The correct answer accurately describes the central tension of the Harlem Renaissance: the struggle of Black intellectuals and artists to assert their creative genius and full humanity in a nation that continued to enforce white supremacy and racial inequality. Cullen's poem uses the image of a God who makes 'a poet black, and bid him sing' to represent the painful ironies and deep-seated conflicts experienced by Black creators during this era.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided excerpt from Countee Cullen's poem.
The excerpt focuses on the tension between having the soul of a poet ("to sing") and the identity of being a Black person in a racially oppressive society ("make a poet black").
Understanding the literal and symbolic meaning of the poem is necessary to identify the core theme.
2
Connect the poem's theme to the broader historical and cultural context of the New Negro Movement and the Harlem Renaissance.
The Harlem Renaissance was characterized by an explosion of Black intellectual and artistic expression that sought to challenge white supremacy and assert self-determination, yet artists constantly struggled with the reality of American racism.
Placing the text within the correct historical era helps identify the tension Cullen is addressing.
3
Evaluate the choices to find the one that accurately describes this tension and avoid distractors associated with other historical debates.
The correct option correctly captures the paradox of artistic expression under systemic oppression, while the other choices misrepresent the text as promoting emigration, Washingtonian accommodationism, or a debate on regional segregation styles.
This step eliminates incorrect options based on historical and textual inaccuracies.

Key Concept

The New Negro Movement and the Harlem Renaissance utilized art, literature, and music to assert Black humanity and intellectual equality, while navigating the persistent realities of systemic racism and social marginalization.
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Topics

The Harlem Renaissance and the New Negro Movement

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