Reading over Cullens contributions to the Harlem Rennaissance I find that he seems to be the most emotionally turbulent out of all the authors we have read. I guess I could best place him next to Mckay as to one he was most related to, however he poems are more bitter. Cullen has a unique style, that was at first very enjoyable to me. As i continued to read I became a bit disgusted however. Most of the other authors we have read have kept me refreshed throughout, and inspired at that. With Cullen as I finished up I was thinking his words were good, but a bit evil, made me feel a little sick to my stomach. Its not that i thought it was bad poetry as it was a good contribution to black art, however I believe that Cullen was using religion as a scapegoat for his plague. It appears that Cullen was depressed, and his work is not a reflection of this. I think I am going to do a fact sheet on Cullen so i can find out more about his life. I dont like that he doesnt write anything (at least in this collectin of poems) that is innately positive. I think this is what disturbs me the most, than again it might be the fact that it seems to me he continually mocks Christ. I am a christian and although i hardly ever go to church i feel strongly that christianity is something that shouldnt be mocked or poked at.
I got going with Heritage, it was very catchy. I liked it very much, found it easy to read and understand. It appears Cullen is upset that he doesnt have a true tie or feel for his roots. As he speaks of Africa he talks of it like a long lost ancestor with which he has very little in common. He is almost critical of Africa but knows he has the blood running through him and some things (such as being naked in the jungle) are things he feels he would like to do. Is this why Cullen is so negative and can "find no peace" I am not sure.
It also appears that Cullen was hurt by one person or another in a personal relationship. I wonder if it was a guy or a girl because Mrs. Wells had said she believed he was Gay . If he was hurt by a girl maybe this is why he thought he was gay and he had so much turmoil in his life. Or maybe he was hurt by another male--but that should be expected in a relationship such as that because its hard to put puzzle pieces together that dont fit. All in all i find that he blames god for all his problems. Is he a christian and will god forgive him? I dont know. I dont know if Jesus was black or white or brown but that shouldnt matter and I doubt Jesus would like the questioning of why.. with this religion it is supposed to be what it is and not questioned. Cullen takes pokes at everybody/everything he did more methaphorically so it is hard to say what exactly he was feeling or thinking; what was sarcastic, realistic, concious and subconcious. Whatever it was.... he stands on it.. but is he even sure why?
i CERTainly was very critical of Cullen, but i was impressed b y his writing style. I also must note that his vocabulary was great and he gave me some good words to look up on the internet for definitions and thesauraus entries.
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I also noticed the strong bitterness and negativity attached to Cullen’s poetry. It is a contrast to the other writers that we have read. I find it interesting that Cullen didn’t include any positive or uplifting ideas for the black race. Like you said he has a unique style and I too am interested in learning more about Cullen and his life.
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