Countee Cullen was considered one of the most dominant and influential writers of the Harlem Renaissance (Reimherr 22). Cullen was born in 1903 and was raised by the Rev. Frederick Cullen and his wife after Countee's mother died when he was five. Although Cullen grew up in Harlem, it is believed that he was actually born in Kentucky or Maryland (Haskins 99). With the historical context as it was during Cullen's life, he let the actions of others influence his writing. Because of his personal beliefs, the pressures of his culture, and the racial violence and prejudice he regularly faced, Countee Cullen's writings tended to focus on the racial struggles he faced. The Harlem Renaissance was a period when black expression flourished (Haskins 100). Many activists came forward at this time. Cullen was in the hot spot of African American culture, which influenced his writing. He says: “Most of the things I write, I do out of pure love of the music in them. Somehow, however, I find that my poetry is itself about the Negro, about his...