Marvelous Sonnet
How do we know this sonnet is by Cullen? Let us Countee the ways:
- His poems are often written in traditional poetic forms (in this case, a sonnet).
- His poems often reference the major literary canon of both America and Europe.
- He's all-lyric, all the time.
- His poems are often intellectual meditations that grapple with issues of race, heritage, God and art.
- He likes to mix universal themes with themes about race in America and cooks up incredibly sophisticated poems that appeal to everyone. His poems are sort of like a high-end buffet, where everyone can find something to sink their teeth into, regardless of their race or religious background. So eat up.