Faith as the Hue of Resilience in Countee Cullen’s Color

Abstract

The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the renaissance of African American literature, is a remarkable and pivotal point in the teeming history of literature. During this period, which is marked by both aggressive and peaceful responses against segregation and racism, faith played a significant role in the lives of African Americans, which was reflected in their artistic expressions. Through one of Harlem's distinguished poets, Countee Cullen, and his seminal collection of poems, Color, this paper aims to explore the effect of faith, religion, and spirituality on forming and shaping resilience and relieving the pain endured by people of colour in the United States of America. Using the lenses of the psychoanalytic approach, this paper endeavours to deconstruct the poet’s psyche through his writings to reveal how and why his soul, under the pressure of discrimination, flees to religion as a befitting resort. Cullen’s rhymes and rhythms, which exhibit shades of his identity and experiences, echo his entire race’s heritage. Thus, understanding the biblical allusions in his poems opens the beholder’s eyes to one of the essential pillars of African American literature.