If We Must Die and The Tropics in New York

An author’s purpose may be to entertain, to inform, to explain, to describe, or to persuade. Readers can infer the author’s purpose through careful reading. Examine “If We Must Die” for the author’s purpose. Pay attention to how Claude McKay stirs readers’ thoughts and feelings. Then determine the author’s purpose in “The Tropics in New York.” Write a paragraph for each poem explaining your conclusions and provide examples from the poems as supportive evidence.