The Harlem Dancer

The sonnet the Harlem Dancer by Claude McKay describes the scene in a Harlem nightclub, where a woman works as a dancer and singer to entertain the young crowds. Diction and metaphors play an important role in creating imagery and to make a contrast between the gaiety of the audience and the sadness of the dancer.

Diction is used in this poem to create imagery and show the contrast between the dancer and the club. The young people in the club are caught up in the nightlife of the city; “young prostitutes” surround men that applaud, laugh and watch the suggestive movements of the dancer. It is the audience that gives the sexual tone of the poem, rather than the dancer. Both men and “even” women are “wine flushed” and “bold-eyed,” suggesting they are drunk on alcohol and befogged. They “devoured her with their eager, passionate gaze”, showing their sexual desires and eager passion, emphasizing the animalistic side of the youngsters. The dancer on the other hand dances “gracefully and calm” among the crazy crowd. McKay uses the verbs “sway” to describe the delicate and oscillating movements of the dancer, with her “light gauze hanging loose about her form”. This gives me the image of a ballet dancer; very gentle and slow movements, with her body flowing around the dance floor.

Furthermore the use of the words “falsely-smiling” and “strange” in the couplet at the end of the sonnet describe the dancer’s melancholy, as opposed to the gaiety of the crowds. She has settled for a low-paid job, underestimating her worth, as people toss “coins in praise”. She is dancing for them, but not herself; she is not content with her life in this place.

Metaphors and similes are also used in this poem in order to create imagery, and emphasize the gracefulness of the dancer. The narrator describes that “her voice was like the sound of blended flutes blown by black players upon a picnic day” suggesting it is melodious, soft and sweet, as opposed to the music of the nightclub, which one would expect to be loud and fast.  Moreover, the alliteration of the “b” sound is also very soft and creates a slow rhythm emphasizing the overall slow moving rhythm of the dancer.  McKay also compares the dancer to a “proudly-swaying palm grown lovelier for passing through a storm”. This metaphor describes once again the slow and rhythmical movements of the woman, and how they entice the audience, which is compared to a “storm”.

Sound also has an important effect in this poem. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem make it seem like a song that the dancer dances and sings to. The Iambic pentameter of the Shakespearean sonnet gives the poem a slow rhythm, portraying the slow and calm dance of the dancer, as well as her sadness, as described in the couplet at the end.  These three elements: diction, metaphors and sound portray the theme of the sonnet, finally summarized in the couplet: the dancer has contented with a life she does not want, but persists due to economical reasons. 


Harlem Renaissance Artwork: http://blog.jongraynewyork.com/2010/10/harlem-renaissance-art/