Analysis Of As I Grew Older

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Life was difficult for blacks, as they did not have many liberties. To exaggerate the feelings of the reader, poets use different forms of literary devices in the voice of the speaker to perform great roles. In “As I Grew Older,” Langston Hughes uses a unique structure, tone, imagery, and symbols to express the feelings of the black community regarding racism and oppression.
The structure of Hughes’ poem “As I Grew Older,” is unique in a way that it incorporates both complete sentences as well as incomplete sentences with a distinct rhyme scheme. Since there is no rhyme scheme, Hughes uses repetition to help create a rhythm is the poem. In Carrie Perles’ article, she asserts that “The rhythmic repetition of the words ‘rose’ and ‘slowly’ in the lines “And then the wall rose, / Rose slowly, / Slowly / ... Rose slowly, slowly...” help the reader feel the sluggish pace of the wall's rising.” Repetition ties everything together, whether it is the theme or the speaker’s emotions. Repetition also shows how time has gone by, which explains why the poem’s title is “As I Grew Older.” The begi...

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