The poem is based on a cultural movement during the 1920s that celebrated black life and culture. The Harlem Renaissance and the Great Depression. "Let America Be America Again" criticizes the country's inability to grant equality and freedom particularly to the working class, the poor, and people of color. It conveys a profound feeling of disappointment with the American Dream. By drawing a comparison between the idealistic perception of America and the harsh realities that oppressed people must endure, Hughes advocates for the restoration of the American promise of liberty and justice for all. The poem is a criticism of the American Dream that calls for a revision of the true American identity and points out the disadvantages of minority …show more content…
As Constantini says, “The next three stanzas list all of the Americans who might respond to the lines in italics above. Hughes includes not only African Americans--former slaves and servants and poor workers--but also Native Americans, who have been forced to leave the territory their families lived on for generations; immigrants from all over the world who come to America full of optimism but find that they still cannot make a decent life for themselves” or when Hughes says, "O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe.” The poet highlights the stark contrast between wealth and poverty, thereby casting a spotlight on the profound socioeconomic disparities that pervade society, even relating equality to air. This literary technique allows the poem to echo the intimate resonance of personal testimony while simultaneously capturing the chorus of society’s shared experiences. The concept of the American Dream, which is often associated with the idea of moving up in society and achieving wealth, is carefully analyzed in the …show more content…
In Hughes characteristically “multiracial perspective” The poem delves into the concept of intersectionality, revealing how race, ethnicity and economic status blend together to mold the fabric of personal identities and life experiences. It sheds light on how these interconnected structures of advantage and disadvantage influence the economic challenges encountered by groups. The poem vividly captures the exploitation of laborers, who toil under the weight of oppressive conditions for meager wages, their plight a somber reflection on the harsh realities of a system that profits from their relentless exertion yet undervalues their humanity.individuals whose sweat saturates the very soil they work upon, their dreams deferred by a relentless grind that seldom yields more than survival. Louis states, “‘Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed.’ It's a dream of freedom, equality, opportunity, and liberty--the ideals that form the bedrock of the nation”. The poem explores the challenges that immigrants and African Americans encounter due to discrimination, racial prejudices and past
Issues of Injustice and Inequality in ‘Let America Be America Again’ This paper examined the ideas inequality and injustice in the poem ‘Let America Be America Again’ by Langston Hughes. In the poem, Hughes expresses his dissatisfaction with the social and economic inequalities that were commonplace in the American society. ‘Let America be America Again’ gives voice to the disenfranchised portion of the American citizenry who are frustrated by the structural greed and economic injustices perpetrated
“Let America be the dream that dreamers dreamed.” (Langston Hughes) This quote sums up a lot of the ideas that Langston Hughes portrayed throughout the 1920’s sharing his idea of what the “American dream” really was. Langston Hughes was known for being an American poet whose works were often influenced by his part as a social activist. He was gave a lot of influence to the ideas spread during the Harlem Renaissance period. Hughes believed that America and the so called “American dream” were in reach
Idealism in Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes In the poem "Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the 1930's. To many living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream had escaped their grasp. In this poetic expression, a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans' concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could aspire to be again. Using a conversational style
every citizen of America to have an equal opportunity to achieve success. In Langston Hughes poem “ Let America Be America Again” he focuses on the concept of the American dream and how attaining freedom, equality, and happiness is so powerful in changing America back to its roots. He also goes into detail about the flaws of America and how they could improve as a country. In the poem, Hughes wrote in the perspective of one who feels America is not reaching its full potential. Hughes is very discrete
Langston Hughes was an American poet, whose African-American themes made him a main contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. He’s the brains behind "Let America be America Again" and many other pieces of poetry. When first reading "Let America be America Again" I was really intrigued about why and how he was displaying all the different cultures and races in America and how it always ends the same way because they are overpowered by the rich and powerful. After analyzing this poem, I believe
Langston Hughes was dedicated to writing about the hardships and problems of African Americans. He wrote for and connected with the average, everyday African American. While he connected majorly with the African Americans, Langston also managed to attract attention from many white people too. In one of Langston’s poems titled, “Let America Be America Again”, he writes “And yet must be- the land where every man is free / The land that's mine- the poor man’s, Indian’s, Negro’s, Me.” (Lines 63-64)
Following the Civil War, America struggled to find a true definition for the American Dream and had to confront a host of new ideas and political philosophies. A world striked by devastating wars and rapidly changing customs began to challenge what was required of individuals and government. Let America be America Again and The Klan’s Fight for Americanism both attempt to devise a meaning for liberty in the contemporary America, but one excerpt emphasizes America’s economic disparity while the other
In Let America Be America Again, Langston Hughes pliably shares his opinions on the American dream. Hughes composed this poem in the year 1935 and its title was later used as the slogan by John Kerry while running for a presidential seat in 2004.In the entire poem, Hughes divergences his expectations of America with the truth of life for those individuals outside religious and social groups. He reminds the dreams of the many people who came to America in order to fulfill them yet they have not been
the hope I seek.” In the poem “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes, the reader hears from two different speakers, and how they both separately want America to change. One of the speakers wants America to go back to what it was before, while the other responds in small comments, building up to say the quote above. The author is also very smart in how he lays out the poem, and what messages he’s trying to convey. In the poem “Let America Be America Again” the author has two separate speakers
Despite the discrimination in America, Hughes identified as an American. A poem in which he declares his American identity is “I, Too”. The voice of the poem is in the first person with the narrator being black using vernacular speech. The setting of the poem is in a home and the speaker is a part of the family living in the home. In the second line of the poem, the speaker states, “I am the darker brother”. This line establishes the brotherhood of the black and the white; American and that they
The theme that is apparent throughout “Let American Be America Again,” is that even though America is supposed to be the land of the free, it has never really provided this golden opportunity to everyone. In fact, Langston Hughes seems to imply that America oppressed many groups of people and has never really represented those ideals in the first place, except for a certain group of people, the wealthy. Through the use of the literary elements of poems, we’ll explore the true meaning the author seems
Patriotism- the quality of being patriotic; or vigorous support for one's own country. America is not patriotic unless a tragedy hits such as the attack on the world trade center.Being patriotic is not going out to vote or waving around the flag, patriotism is an idea, a notion, a concept that could be defined as love and support for one's own country. But along the way, America has lost the true meaning of patriotism. What is the true definition of patriotism? Through racism, war,and inequality
In “Let America be America again”, Langston Hughes creates sympathies through metaphor and parallel structure o show that with great economy is built above slavery, blood and tears. The poem has reflected during the old time America, African americans and people from low class has got treated very unfairly. The only people who reached the American dream were the only 1 percent of the Americans. Therefore, rest of the american has suffered a lot from the 1 percent and they gain nothing from them but
At age 13, (James) Langston Hughes began writing poetry and developing the voice that shaped the Harlem Renaissance (Rampersad 506). He continued to write through college and soon he became an integral part of Harlem. During the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes was the epicenter of much of the cultural, social and political turbulence that occurred at this time. He wrote about his experiences and much of his work is inspired by the time period. His poetry showcased “the tension between the awareness
In Langston Hughes’ Let America be America Again, he describes his judgements on America and the “American Dream”. The poem was intended to express how the American dream is not the equivalent as when the first pioneers came looking for the land of the free (lines 3-4). For the narrator, America was at no time equal and some groups of people are treated as if they are worth less than others (lines 16-17). The author’s tone in the poem goes from enthusiastic to despondent in different areas. In lines