Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis

The two poems by Langston Hughes “Theme for English B” and “ I, Too” both identify racism that permeates all stations of life. In both texts, Hughes represents the two speakers as African Americans and identifies how one tries to elevate himself through education and the other individual remains trapped at a lower station. In the poem “Theme for English B” skin colour and all that it represents emerges when the speaker searches for his identity as well as what is the truth about his abilities. The speaker expresses his view in how he deals with his white counterparts (the instructor). “I, Too” centers on the idea of racial oppression, looking at how whites do not recognize blacks as equals and how this affects the individual. Yet the texts attempt to show the basic human similarities between African Americans and white people despite their perceived differences and societal segregation. The two speakers within the poems struggle with their own self-worth in relation to their colour. The similarity between the two speakers is that they approach their issues confident in their capabilities and futures. The two speakers differ in that they appear to have different stations in life; servitude versus achieving higher education, yet both struggle with self-worth.

Langston Hughes clearly connects with a wide range of audiences through the simplicity that surrounds his poetry. The beauty of this manner in which he wrote his poetry, is that it grasp people by illustrating his narratives of the common lifestyles experienced by the current American generation. His art form expresses certain questionable ideologies of life and exposes to the audience what it takes to fully comprehend what being an American truly means. Each individual poem describes and illustrates the strength and hardships the African American community was experiencing. Through his literature art form of poetry, Hughes was able to convey the common assertions of

Langston Hughes was someone who never gave up on his dream. He was an African-American born in Missouri in 1902. He received his education at Columbia University and later went on to go to Lincoln University. Although he is most well known for being a poet, he held a variety of other jobs ranging from a busboy to a columnist in his early years. In the 1920s America entered the Harlem Renaissance, a time of appreciation for black heritage. It was at this point in history that he became an important writer. The reason he was so important to this time in history is because his writing, “offers a transcription of urban life through a portrayals of the speech habits attitudes and feelings of an oppressed people. The poems do more, however, than

Langston hughes is an american poet who was born in 1902 to a country that segregated him and a county he loved, such love comes from his amazing poem I Too.

A huddle of horns And a tinkle of glass A note Handed down from Marcus to Malcolm To a brother Too bad and too cool to give his name. Sometimes despair Makes the stoops shudder Sometimes there are endless depths of pain Singing a capella on street corners

Foremost, Langston Hughes was born on February 1st, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri to two black parents. They later divorced which caused Hughes to move around a lot and be raised by his grandmother. Through his friends and schoolmates, Hughes was “introduced to leftist literature and ideology” (Gale Group), as they associated with socialism. This marked the beginning of Hughes avid love of reading and literature. He was influenced by The Souls of Black Folk which which was a classic novel about racism that inspired his writing and poems about the “experiences, attitudes, and language of everyday black Americans” (Gale Group). Hughes experienced racism first hand through his father, as he considered all other races inferior to whites, further alienating Hughes from him. At 17, he wrote “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” which celebrated the voice and soul of the black community in a time of great hatred, helping to unite and inspire blacks during the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of cultural rebirth and a movement during the 1920s and 1930s in America in which black artists, activists, musicians, and writers “found new ways to explore and celebrate the black experience” (Gale Group) in the midst of white oppression. Hughes’ poetry gave a voice and inspiration for many black people across America as he detailed their struggles and pain related to the racial prejudice shown against them. The way Hughes wrote, threading in “structures and rhythms of jazz music” (Gale Group), his

Langston Hughes was one of the most important writers and thinkers of the Harlem Renaissance. He was born on February 1, 1902 and died May 22, 1967. This was the African American artistic movement in the 1920’s that celebrated black life and culture. Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri. "His mother was a schoolteacher, and she also wrote poetry." His father, James Nathaniel Hughes, was a storekeeper. He had wanted to become a lawyer, but he wasn’t able to take the bar exam. "Hughes' parents

His creativity is what helped shape the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance. He was considered the most popular star in his time (page 65 ). He was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. ( page 65). Hughes wrote poetry and most of them were written because of the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote a poem called “ The Negro Speaks of Rivers” which was written in 1920(source 2). Langston hughes had a complex ancestry, both of his great grandmothers were African American slaves and both of his great grandfathers were white slave owners in

Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was named after his father, James Hughes, but was known as Langston. He was the only child from his parents James and Carrie Hughes. His parents were not married for long because of an unhappy marriage. When they separated, Langston was left with his mother, who left him behind to move from city to city to find work. Langston ended up living with his 70 year-old grandmother in Lawrence, Kansas. He lived with her until he was 13, and then he moved back with his mother in Lincoln, Kansas after his grandmother died in 1915.

Langston Hughes was a well known poet during the 1920s who was a main part of the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote 60 books including poems, novels, short stories, plays, children's poetry, musicals, operas, and autobiographies. Langston drew inspiration from his grandmother to write. Langston Hughes wrote poems about inequality and a sense of hope about how things would change. Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri.

On February 1, 1902, Langston Hughes was born. He was born “James Langston Hughes.” (Rueben) He was born in Missouri. His parents divorced when he was a younger child. His dad left and went to Mexico. His grandmother had the task to raise him. “He stayed there until he was twelve.” (Hampson) Then his mother wanted him back. So he moved “to Lincoln, Illinois […] eventually settling in Cleveland, Ohio.” (Anderson, 706) Langston began writing creative poetry in the eight grade. He went on to attend Central High School in Cleveland. “he was a coveted award winner as a teen.” (Reuben) “It was during his high school years that Hughes began to take poetry seriously.” (Reuben) Langston was becoming one of the most predominant writing figures of the time. “The most important early influence on Hughes’ poetry was Carl Sandburg […]”. (Anderson, 706) But “his father did not think he would be able to make a living as a writer.” (Jackson) He wanted him to pursue a career in engineering. So he came up with the idea to go to Columbia University, where he knew he could be close to Harlem. His passion for writing and desire to see Harlem led him to disobey his dad.

According to Becky Bradley in American Cultural History, Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Growing up, he dealt with some hard times. His parents divorced when he was little and he grew up with neither of his parents. Hughes was raised by his grandmother since his father moved to Mexico after their divorce and his mother moved to Illinois. It was when Hughes was thirteen that he moved out to Lincoln, Illinois to be reunited with his mother. This is where Hughes began writing poetry. However, the family moved again and finally settled in Cleveland, Ohio (Bradley, pars. 1-3).

Through his major achievements in literature, Langston Hughes helped African Americans accept and appreciate their heritage. Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes’s early years were very difficult due to the separation of his parents. Hughes began to write poetry at the age of 14.

Langston Hughes’ life impacted his work. He was a poet, playwright, and novelist. He was from Joplin, Missouri. Hughes was born on February 1st in 1902. Both of Langston’s parents were slaves (www.biography.com). His mom, Carrie Langston Hughes, was a teacher. Hughes’ dad was James Hughes, an aspiring lawyer. His dad left his family, divorced his wife, and moved to Mexico. Langston Hughes then moved in with his grandmother, who raised him. He lived with her until he was around 13 years old(www.biography.com). When she died, he moved back with his mom and her new husband. They eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio.

According to Biography, James Mercer Langston Hughes is considered to be an African American poet who is college educated and comes from a middle-class family (Langston Hughes Biography). He attended college in New York City and became influential during the Harlem Renaissance (Langston Hughes Biography). Although Hughes was a talented writer, he faced some challenges early on and it was stated that his “early work was roundly criticized by many black intellectuals for portraying what they thought to be an unattractive view of black life” (Langston Hughes. American Poet). They believed that his work helps the spread the stereotypes of African Americans. “Hughes, more than any other black poet or writer, recorded faithfully the nuances of black life and its frustrations” (Langston Hughes. American Poet). Langston Hughes’s poems “The Negro Mother”, “Let America be America Again” and “The Weary Blues” were influenced by his life during the Harlem Renaissance and the racial inequality experienced in the late 1920s through the 1960s.