Paired Texts > If We Must Die

Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936) was an English poet and classical scholar. Housman wrote the elegy "To an Athlete Dying Young" in 1896, following the death of his close friend, Adalbert Jackson. In this poem, the speaker addresses an elegy to a champion runner who died at the height of his physical prime.

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's poem "An Obstacle," she urges us to remain strong when facing everyday obstacles. Gilman was writing as a feminist during a time when it was not socially acceptable to identify as such.

In the informational text "The Harlem Renaissance," Jessica McBirney discusses how the movement developed and the effect it had on America.

In the famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., outlines his nonviolence approach to addressing injustice while responding to criticism.

In this short story, a man seeks revenge when he loses his wife to another. Written during the Harlem Renaissance, "Spunk" offers an exploration of African American culture and features the use of a distinctive southern dialect.

In the informational text "Attack on Fort Sumter Marked Start of War," Carolyn Reeder discusses the South's first attack on the North that resulted in the beginning of the Civil War. 

In "Monkeyman," a teenager watches his friend stand up to a neighborhood gang and learns a powerful lesson about courage.

In "America," a speaker describes their mixed feelings about America.

In "Harvey Milk Lives!", Thomas Pool describes the life and career of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and politician, who continues to inspire people to fight for equal rights.

Winston Churchill's speech "Never Give In," discusses the recent successes of the United Kingdom in World War II.

This rousing speech by President Lyndon B. Johnson was delivered right after civil rights protesters were brutally beaten on "Bloody Sunday." This speech is considered one of the best presidential speeches in history, and eventually led to The Voting Rights Act of 1965.