when was if if i must die poem by claude mckay written
Claude McKay wrote âIf We Must Dieâ amid the violence and bloodshed of 1919, and in this poem he encourages his community to take action and to fight back. This message is particularly interesting and striking when we compare it to the work of Langston Hughes, McKayâs contemporary.laude McKay wrote âIf We Must Dieâ amid the violence and bloodshed of 1919, and in this poem he encourages his community to take action and to fight back. This message is particularly interesting and striking when we compare it to the work of Langston Hughes, McKayâs contemporary.