Can I please have a line-by-line analysis of the poem "If We Must Die" by Claude McKay?i am especially having trouble with the meaning of the line...

Claude McKay (September 15, 1889-May 22, 1948) was a
Jamaican-American author who advocated black self-determination; that is, he believed
that African-Americans should rely on themselves to become independent and
free.

McKay's poem "If We Must Die" provides a good glimpse
of his beliefs. Throughout the poem, McKay states repeatedly that blacks must be willing
to die for their rights.  This is in contrast to some African-American leaders, such as
Booker T. Washington, who believed that good hearted white people would help the black
people and that the blacks should accept their
help.

McKay's more militant approach is seen in the the
phrases "If we must die,"  "let us nobly die," "honor us though dead," and "Pressed to
the wall, dying."

The poet emphasizes, however, that the
deaths of his people must be noble, "not like hogs / Hunted and penned in an inglorious
spot." The poet believes that if his people die through "fighting back," then their
blood will not have been "shed in vain."  Instead, the evil "monsters" who persecuted
them will have to "honor us though dead."

Near the end of
the poem, the poet writes:

readability="5">

What though before lies the open
grave?

You are correct that
this is a difficult line to interpret.  I would paraphrase it as follows:  What? You
want us to fight? Even though we will surely fall into the open grave that lies before
us?

The poet answers this
question:

Like
men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but
fighting back!