Poem-"Yet Do I Marvel" by Countee Cullen

[Ms. Knarr]

"Yet Do I Marvel" By Countee Cullen 1903–1946



I doubt not God is good, well-meaning, kind,

And did He stoop to quibble could tell why

The little buried mole continues blind,

Why flesh that mirrors Him must some day die,

Make plain the reason tortured Tantalus

Is baited by the fickle fruit, declare

If merely brute caprice dooms Sisyphus

To struggle up a never-ending stair.

Inscrutable His ways are, and immune

To catechism by a mind too strewn

With petty cares to slightly understand

What awful brain compels His awful hand.

Yet do I marvel at this curious thing:

To make a poet black, and bid him sing!

[kevinskocypec]

1. I feel like "Yet Do I Marvel", by Countee Cullen, is about someone question God. Perhaps he has gone through a tough time recently. In the beginning, he said "I doubt not God is good" and then follows it up by "the little buried mole continues blind." It is as if he is wondering why there are wrongs in the world if God is good. Later on, he also uses "His" and "Him" with capital H'es, implying God. Basically, he is discussing his opinions on God and the world.


2. I enjoyed reading this peace because it was descriptively complex and sad. It made me feel slightly upset but also moved. The line "With petty cares to slightly understand" showed disappointment, and it was almost depressing.


3.
1)What does "To make a poet black, and bid him sing" mean? I feel like it has to do with God wanting to hear people's opinions but I am not very sure.

2)What do you think the "never-ending stair" talked in line 8 means?

3) Is the narrator's overall feelings towards God more of curiosity or happinesss/disappointment?

4) In the last line, is the "poet" he is reffering to himself?

[elineal]

1. My view is different than Kevin's. I feel like this poem is Cullen's way of putting his faith into words. By saying the two contrasting lines, "I doubt not God is good" and "What awful brain compels His awful hand" proves his waywardness toward God's actions. The similar lines, "The little buried mole continues blind" and "The little buried mole continues blind" tells us he believes that things are what they are no matter how good you think God is.

2. I like this poem because it makes a difference in african american literature. Most agree with God and do not show angst but joy. Cullen changes that and says yes I'm frustrurated with it but there's nothing we can do.

3.
A4. Yes Culen is black and I think he is stating the he , like the mole, can't do anything about what God makes him.

[hugozazzarini]

1. I agree with both Eli and Kevin. While this poem does put Countee Cullen's faith into words, I also can see what Kevin said about the author questioning their faith in God as evidenced by the first few lines. I also believe this as the title "Yet I Do Marvel" proves that the speaker does question God sometimes, yet he still believes in him despite what happens.
2. While I had a somewhat difficult time understanding this piece, I enjoyed it when I was able to understand it as it describes something realistic that most people who believe in God go through.
3. (Question 2) I believe the never ending stair could represent the continuous struggle that one has with their faith in God.
What is the narrator's tone in this poem?

[elineal]

Here's the question for my previous post:

What do you think is Cullen's view of God?

[hugozazzarini]

Answering Eli's question: I believe that Countee Cullen loves God and accepts the things that happen to him but at the same time he questions God for the things that happen to him and the reasons behind them.

[mattteryek]

1. I agree with everyone above. I interpreted Countee Cullen's poem to be about his beliefs in God. In the begining he writes, "I doubt not God is good," which shows he doesn't think God is so great. However he also writes, "Inscrutable His ways are," which I see as Cullen's way of saying, we will never understand God so we should just accept what we know about Him.

2. I liked this poem because it is a difference in African American Literature. Most would write about social issues at the time but Countee Cullen expresses his own issue with God. In a way I agree with Eli's statement, Cullens disagreed with God but in the end acknowledged Him because there is nothing we as humans can do to change God.

3. (Answer to Eli's Question) I feel Countee Cullen does appreciate God, but is confused as to why the world is so bad. It is evident that Cullen loves God because in the end he accepts God and realizes that there is nothing he as a human can do to question Him.

My Question: Do you think Cullens poem is a common opinion?

[samentwistle]

1. I agree with everyone's posts about this poem. Kevin makes a good point about Cullen going through a tough time and then writing about his feelings on God at that moment. Also, I agree with Eli that this poem could also be a reflection of Cullen's swaying feelings with God. Possibly, Cullen could have never believed in God in the first place, but now has wavering feelings on beginnings of a pssible religious belief. I also agree with Matt, that Cullen is trying to state that God is unpredictable and we must accept what we know about him and expand our religion from there.

2. I found this poem confusing because of the many ways you can interpret Cullen's writings. As everyone stated above, there are many views on what Cullen is writing about. Even though the poem was confusing, I agree with Matt that it was a refreshing topic in the writing. I enoyed reading a different idea, rather than slavery or hardships.

3. 1) Answering Matt's question, I think that Cullen's poem is a very common view amongst most of society. Being that God is a distant figure that many people can't relate to, I believe that Cullen's opinion of back and forth, putting his faith in God and taking it away, is one common of many people. 2) Why do you think Cullen refers to God's hand as "awful?"

[kevinskocypec]

1. (To Eli's response to my question 4): I completely understand what you are saying about Cullen's look on life. I agree that he does feel like he cannot do anything about who he is, yet I do not feel like he is very upset with who he is. Cullen seems to not mind who he is, just how people treat him.

2. (Answering Matt's question) I believe that what Cullen is expressing is a thought that many black people of the time believed. They were all forced to be who they are by God and could not change it. However, as I stated before, that does not mean they do not want to be themselves. It is just that they were froced by "God's hand."

(My Question) Cullen wrote about being forced into the situation he was in, and I feel his opinion was a common opinion at that time. However, do you think the whites were in favor of publishing poems expressing this?

[dannyreilly]

I think this poem is about how Cullen isn't questioning God's goodness but wondering why he made her a black poet in a rough time. I agree with Kevin in that he knows he can't change who he his so he embraces it. He is a black poet and he writes proudly.

I didn't really like this poem. It was very hard to understand with some of the vocabulary being used. I also feel that even though he says that he doesn't doubt God, he then goes and almost questions him in a sort of way using analogies to animals.

(To kevin) I do think white people were in favor of poems like this. I feel it alsmost gave them a sense that blacks know their place.
(My question) Was Countee Cullen a Catholic, if so, do you think he took some criticism about this poem?