Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BAPTISM, by CLAUDE MCKAY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BAPTISM, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Into the furnace let me go alone
Last Line: A stronger soul within a finer frame.
Alternate Author Name(s): Edwards, Eli
Subject(s): African Americans; Negroes; American Blacks


Into the furnace let me go alone;
Stay you without in terror of the heat.
I will go naked in—for thus ''tis sweet—
Into the weird depths of the hottest zone.
I will not quiver in the frailest bone,
You will not note a flicker of defeat;
My heart shall tremble not its fate to meet,
My mouth give utterance to any moan.
The yawning oven spits forth fiery spears;
Red aspish tongues shout wordlessly my name.
Desire destroys, consumes my mortal fears,
Transforming me into a shape of flame.
I will come out, back to your world of tears,
A stronger soul within a finer frame.






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