Frances Smith

The Harlem Dancer

By Claude McKay
Applauding youths laughed with young prostitutes
And watched her perfect, half-clothed body sway;
Her voice was like the sound of blended flutes
Blown by black players upon a picnic day.
She sang and danced on gracefully and calm,
The light gauze hanging loose about her form;
To me she seemed a proudly-swaying palm
Grown lovelier for passing through a storm.
(and the poem continues)
Claude McKays The Harlem Dancer is a strong, dynamic piece of poetry. This
sonnet is written in iambic pentameter with only a couple exceptions in syllable count (lines 4,
11 and 12, which possess an extra beat). The rhyme scheme follows the typical form of the
Shakespearean sonnet with an abab cdcd efef gg pattern. Within this classic structure, McKay
creates a highly believable illusion of movement through solid and liquid sounds. In the phrase
proudly-swaying palm, for example, the smooth sw sound is batted back and forth between
two harsh ps, effectively illustrating the sultry movement of the dancer. In addition, this image
of the palm tree Grown lovelier for passing through a storm suggests the emotional tossing and
turning in her life as a sex object. One can tell by this description that the dancer is not delicate,
although she might look like a pretty flower to her bold-eyed audience; rather than dancing
joyfully on an easygoing breeze, she is really being tossed about by the hurricane winds of poor
circumstance.
Let It Be
By Paul McCartney
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
Let it be, let it be.
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.
These lyrics from Paul McCartneys Let It Be are trochaic for the most part with a
few exceptions (here, line 4). The rhyme scheme goes ab bc bb bb, not following any particular
established pattern.