Final answer:
Countee Cullen aspired to be known as a universal poet, leveraging traditional English literary forms to express themes that transcended race and resonated with a wider audience, setting him apart from other Harlem Renaissance figures who emphasized African-American identity in their works.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option : a
Countee Cullen preferred to be known as a universal poet rather than being pigeonholed solely as an African-American poet. He sought to transcend racial boundaries and be recognized for his poetry's universal appeal. Cullen was a prominent figure during the Harlem Renaissance, an era of burgeoning African-American artistic production, but he differentiated himself by adhering to traditional forms of English literature. Unlike his contemporary Langston Hughes, who celebrated the African-American experience and culture directly in his work, Cullen believed his poetry could resonate with all audiences, irrespective of race. He respected the structures and themes of classical English and American poetry and wanted his works to be evaluated on their literary merits.
In his forward to 'Caroling Dusk', Cullen expressed the viewpoint that Negro poets may gain more from the legacy of English and American poetry than from any attempts to connect with an African ancestry. Cullen's poetry often reflected a blend of nineteenth-century Romantic influences paired with themes of race and identity, forming a bridge between traditional forms and the modern African-American experience. Though part of the Harlem Renaissance, Cullen's aesthetic ideals were somewhat distanced from the more politicized and Africa-centric works of some of his peers. His approach to poetry was marked by a desire to universalize the experiences of African-Americans, opening up conversations of shared human emotion and experience that defied the bounds of racial categorization.