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 of growing up black and his acceptance of the “dream” of America” which are portrayed in poems such as “Harlem”, “Dream Variations”, and “Let America Be America Again” (Bloom 15). These poems depict similar themes which are eminent across most …show more content…
But again, this poem has a pessimistic outlook. But not only does this poem have a negative tone; this poem is somewhat of a protest. The speaker declares that America is not what it used to be and it should change to be great again. The speaker opens with “let America be great again, let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Again, Hughes references the dream but this time it is not a hope to move forward but a hope to move to something that once was. This poem was written in the peak of racism. Hughes writes this poem as an attestation. In “Let America Be America Again”, the dream refers to the dream of being free socially and economically. Hughes wants America to epitomize liberty and not just be crowned in a “false patriotic wreath” (12). In his poem the speaker has the dream of a free land without oppression and Hughes urges that people change to make the land great again. Unlike the other two poems, this poem voices a strong declarative view. The other two poems had hopes of dreams whereas this one calls for urgent social change. However, all of the poems describe dreams. Although each poem has a unique tone, the dreams of the speaker are ultimately the same. The dream is to be free from oppression which is what Langston Hughes desired the
Langston Hughes was a large influence on the African-American population of America. Some of the ways he did this was how his poetry influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and the Harlem Renaissance. These caused the civil rights movement that resulted in African-Americans getting the rights that they deserved in the United States. Hughes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one of the most important influences on him. He moved around a lot when he was young, due to his parents divorce, but remained a good student and graduated high school. After this he traveled the world and worked in different places, all the things he saw in his travels influenced him. In 1924 he settled down in Harlem where he became one of the important figures in the Harlem Renaissance. He enjoyed listening to blues and jazz in clubs while he wrote his poetry. The music that he enjoyed greatly influenced the style and rhythm of his poetry. The poem “Dream Variations” by Hughes is about an average African-American who dreams of a world where African-Americans are not looked at or treated differently and they can rest peacefully. Yet in real life this was not so, black people and white people were not equal. And the world was not as forgiving and nice as in their dream. This poem is a good example of Hughes writing because it is typical of three things. The first is the common theme of the average life of an African-American and their struggles. Secondly, the style of his writing which is based on the rhythm of jazz and blues- he uses a lot of imagery and similes. Lastly, his influences which are his lonely childhood and growing up as an Afric...
The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural movement during the 1920s and 1930s, in which African-American art, music and literature flourished. It was significant in many ways, one, because of its success in destroying racist stereotypes and two, to help African-Americans convey their hard lives and the prejudice they experienced. In this era, two distinguished poets are Langston Hughes, who wrote the poem “A Dream Deferred” and Georgia Douglas Johnson who wrote “My Little Dreams”. These two poems address the delayment of justice, but explore it differently, through their dissimilar uses of imagery, tone and diction.
Langston Hughes wrote during a very critical time in American History, the Harlem Renaissance. Hughes wrote many poems, but most of his most captivating works centered around women and power that they hold. They also targeted light and darkness and strength. The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother to Son, both explain the importance of the woman, light and darkness and strength in the African-American community. They both go about it in different ways.
In Let America be America Again, Langston Hughes employs literary devices such as repetition and metaphors to convey the emotions of his hope, that one day America will return to the country of freedom it once was. Hughes starts the poem revealing that “equality is in the air we breathe”. He contradicts this within the first few stanzas of the poem, repeating phrases similar to “America never was America to me”. By constantly demonstrating his feelings of disappointment about the country, he calls home, he is able to express his longing for it to be the place he once remembers. Hughes is also able to convey his dissatisfaction with America’s ability to handle issues regarding equality within social statuses. Hughes states, “I am the young man,
Hughes doesn’t literally mean tomorrow, but in the future, there will be a time when blacks and whites are equal to each other and as well are accepted in America. Then Hughes goes on by saying that “Nobody'll dare say to me/ “eat in the kitchen”/ then”. Hughes doesn’t actually mean he was told to eat in the kitchen, but he is describing the inequality that he is faced with. Also, no one will say this to him because he will gain respect of white people and won’t be looked at as differently. In the third stanza, it says “Besides,/ they’ll see how beautiful I am/ and be ashamed”. Hughes doesn’t literally mean beautiful, but rather as a good person be is and how he is just the same as everyone else is. He means they will be ashamed because they will realize how stupid they are for treating them differently and see that they should have been treated equally all along. In the last stanza, Hughes ends the poem by saying “I, too am America”. He as well is apart of America and should be treated the same as everyone else in America. Hughes stands for all African Americans in the country at the time, and they represent America just like everyone else living there.
1920’s Harlem was a time of contrast and contradiction, on one hand it was a hotbed of crime and vice and on the other it was a time of creativity and rebirth of literature and at this movement’s head was Langston Hughes. Hughes was a torchbearer for the Harlem Renaissance, a literary and musical movement that began in Harlem during the Roaring 20’s that promoted not only African-American culture in the mainstream, but gave African-Americans a sense of identity and pride.
Similar, to the previous poem discussed, the poem Let America Be America Again, written by Langston Hughes in 1935, is an account of the American Dream, that, according to Hughes, never occurred. It also delves into issues of equality and freedom. The poem not only focuses on minorities and their struggles, but also the economically disadvantaged and immigrants who suffer from social bias and unfair treatment. As well, touches upon various issues and events that were prominent at the time, and American society
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 to portray.
The first line of the poem “Let American Be America again” (Line 01) corresponds to the current version in President Trump’s campaign “Make America great again.” Throughout the poem, Hughes addresses the issue of social injustice that permeates through all American communities including the Whites,
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 speaks more of racial integrity.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes opened the doors to African American art. Throughout history, there has been a lot of issues with racial inequality. During the Harlem Renaissance, many African Americans wanted to prove they were just as intelligent, creative, and talented as white Americans. Langston Hughes was one of the people who played an influential part in the Harlem Renaissance. His poem “Harlem” painted a very vivid picture of his life and his outlook on the society he lived in.
Alexis de Tocqueville and Langston Hughes both have their own ideas about what America is, was, and should be. Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America praises American democracy in which everyone is included. This inclusion allows for democracy that everyone can be a part of and feel like they are contributing. On the contrary, Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again” depicts an excluding America that does not treat everyone equivalently. Hughes portrays America as a misrepresentation that does not uphold the ideals that it is so famous for. The two works contrast in many ways but do have some similarities. Although their ideas are different, politics is still a choice. Tocqueville describes politics as a choice that everyone should make as it benefits them all while Hughes describes politics as a choice that some do not have the power to take part in. The differing sentiments between Democracy in America and “Let America Be America Again” stem
The Let America Be America by Langston Hughes. The poem about of the “American dream never be America”. His write a poem inside something most powerfully words “America was never America”. He doesn’t believe in freedom and liability. He said everybody hope positive because America can be a “Great and Love America” American peoples power is very strong and he challenged for who’s control the opportunities and power.
When looking at the Harlem Renaissance, readers can expect to discover many artists that pushed the exposure of Jazz, Blues, and African American literature to the American mainstream during the 1920’s – 1930’s. Langston Hughes is associated with the Harlem Renaissance for his literary works and activism. Zora Neale Hurtson, was also a writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance, her works are, to say the least are in contrast to Hughes’s work. I reason that the different styles of writing and thinking, that were contributed to the Harlem Renaissance is in regards to both author’s upbringing/childhood experiences. The two literary compositions that I will be reviewing are I, Too by Langston Hughes, (The Norton Anthology
Many may agree with the message Langston Hughes was conveying in his poem entitled Let America Be America Again, wishing things didn't happen the way it did that caused America to look corruptive. I felt as though throughout his poem based on the title he states the hardships that Americans had to face in the past and even how America is glorified as "land of the free" but with many struggles as well the terrible things that have occured in America it will never be America again and Hughes knows that because there is no such thing as "America being America again" he only wishes it was that way.