I Know My Soul, a poem by Claude McKay

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I Know My Soul

By Claude McKay  

I plucked my soul out of its secret place,

And held it to the mirror of my eye,

To see it like a star against the sky,

A twitching body quivering in space,

A spark of passion shining on my face.

And I explored it to determine why

This awful key to my infinity

Conspires to rob me of sweet joy and grace.

And if the sign may not be fully read,

If I can comprehend but not control,

I need not gloom my days with futile dread,

Because I see a part and not the whole.

Contemplating the strange, I’m comforted

By this narcotic thought: I know my soul.

* This poem is in the public domain.

Claude McKay was born in Jamaica on September 15, 1889. “I Know My Soul” was published in Claude McKay’s book Harlem Shadows (Harcourt, Brace and company, 1922). His books include Songs of Jamaica (1912) and A Long Way from Home (1937). He died on May 22, 1948.