Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, ONE YEAR AFTER: 1, by CLAUDE MCKAY


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

ONE YEAR AFTER: 1, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Not once in all our days of poignant love
Alternate Author Name(s): Edwards, Eli
Subject(s): Race Awareness; Love - Loss Of


Not once in all our days of poignant love,
Did I a single instant give to thee
My undivided being wholly free.
Not all thy potent passion could remove
The barrier that loomed between to prove
The full supreme surrendering of me.
Oh, I was beaten, helpless utterly
Against the shadow-fact with which I strove.
For when a cruel power forced me to face
The truth which poisoned our illicit wine,
That even I was faithless to my race
Bleeding beneath the iron hand of thine,
Our union seemed a monstrous thing and base!
I was an outcast from thy world and mine.





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