Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis

Langston Hughes was an American poet whose African American themes made him an important contributor to the Harlem Renaissance. In his poems, “I, Too” and “Dream Variations” Hughes expresses his feelings about racial segregation and discrimination during his lifetime. The Harlem Renaissance was a period of poor treatment and hope of African Americans in the 1920’s; Langston’s poems tell his story and opinion on this certain time of his life.

Langston Hughes is a famous poet known mostly for his contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote many inspirational poems that are still read and used for educational purposes. Many of his poems were inspired by his life and his story. One of his many poems entitled “Theme for English B” talks about how his teacher instructed him to write a page about himself and it will be true. In a “Theme for English B”, Hughes uses tone, and characterization to display a relationship between race and writing.

Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother To Son” is a twenty line poem that seems to be from the perspective of a prudent mother that is giving her son, and possibly the readers, some helpful and supportive advice, telling them that, no matter how many adversities they may face, they can not give up. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. “So, boy, don’t you turn back./ Don’t you set down on the steps./ ‘Cause you find it’s kinder hard./ Don’t you fall now-/ For I’se still goin’ honey,” (15-17). In these lines, the mother really drives the idea of diligence and perseverance to her son. Also, in these lines, it can also be seen just how much this mother cares for and loves her child. She advises him to emulate her in the sense that she hasn’t given up and he shouldn’t either, so that they may climb the battered staircase of life together. This causes the mood to be overall relatively jovial and hopeful.

Black poetry is poetry that (1) is grounded in the black experience; (2) utilizes black music as a structural or emulative model; and (3) "consciously" transforms the prevailing standards of poetry through and inconoclastic and innovative use of language.

Although he was criticized by both whites and blacks, the role pivotal role Langston Hughes played in the Harlem Renaissance is undeniable, for he remained loyal to writing about the nuances of black life and its many hardships. He was particularly known for his simplicity in capturing the troubles of Black Americans; doing so through mundane subjects such as work, relationships, money, and everyday life. This same simplicity is applied to his poem, “Theme for English B”. Through the use of subtle word choice, imagery, and wordplay, Hughes’ poem simplifies the complex theme of race and identity as he guides the reader through the stream of consciousness of a perplexed individual.

Langston Hughes is famous for writing a numerous of works. But the poem entitled “Theme for English B”, is one of the most intriguing by far. The poem discusses of a student (perhaps Hughes) being asked by his instructor to write a page that is true of himself. By preceding to do so, Hughes realizes that what is true for him and what’s true for the instructor are two different truths. It’s different because it is in the realm of racial separation. As a result, Langston Hughes portrays a common, determined, and divided state of mind throughout the poem, which also represents the phases in overcoming racial divide and oppression.

Langston Hughes, author of ¨Theme for English B,¨ utilizes his poem to explore how an individual’s ethnicity plays a large role in their life. To do so, Hughes uses an African-American speaker who appears to reflect on his experiences in an all-white classroom during an era that was riddled with racism. Throughout the poem, the speaker explores how his ethnicity both assists and hinders him in the discovery of his identity and how he fits within society. At the beginning of the poem, the speaker is tasked with a seemingly simple assignment; to write a page from his own personal views and beliefs.

A common struggle for African American men in American relates to, who they are in a country proclaiming, freedom, equality, and justice for all. However, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin, and Richard Wright, experience as Americans, contradict its’ proclamation, claiming equality and other rights for all citizens. In the poem, Theme For English B, by Langston Hughes (1951), he questions the authenticity of America, signifying his truths differs from a White man’s truth in this county; he feels less free a Black man oppose to the freedom of White men. In addition, Hughes (2004), Let America be America again, questions freedom in this country, he feels that the American dream nearly dies for minorities because of racism, discrimination, and injustice.

Hughes would remind the audience of this difference between pay no attention to dreams and getting rid of them altogether and we are reminded that a deferred dream is not a canceled dream. Then Hughes would change your perception of a deferred dream when he makes you think of sweet-tasting things that would crust or sugar over like honey and candy stirring up the taste buds and drawing a gap between the bitterness of a lost

Knowledge to me is information and skills that is obtained through education or life experience. It is also about having an understanding of the information obtained and having the ability to pass the information on to others. Individual power is one person strength, endurance and ability to have an open mind to do the impossible. I believe that everyone possess some form of individual power and knowledge enhances that characteristic in a person. However, one must be willing to receive knowledge from other in order to enhance their individual power. Each reading from this week shows how knowledge and individual power work hand in hand as well as how the impact our lives as well as other. I believe that each of the readings show, The more you know, the greater you individual power becomes.

In the poem “Harlem” by Langston Hughes, it was about what dreams do when they are ignored or postponed. He uses a lot of word choice and imagery to describe how your dreams feel when you don’t put them to use. He asks many questions, asking if your dreams explode, pester, dry up, run or even stink. He uses food, sores and heavy thing as ways to tie into dreams, and he does it in a very smooth way.

The first few lines of this poem start by describing an assignment from an instructor. “Go home and write a page tonight,” is what the instructor says (Line 2-3). This is used as a relatable hook for Hughes’ poem. Any individual can relate to being given a homework assignment from a teacher. By using this hook Hughes forms a special type of pathos with the audience.

The American poet, Langston Hughes, writes poetry primarily focusing on African American civil rights. Coming from a long line of African American activists, he too made it his work and his passion to help the efforts to bring about equality. However, his own past is the reason he pushes these ideas forward with such zeal. Hughes grew up in a time of racial segregation. The nation was divided and Hughes witnessed that first hand. Living in Harlem, where he was able to experience the blossoming of black culture, helped him develop his own writing. The dialect he heard, past experiences and other inspirations he realized throughout his life molded his own opinions and would become an essential part of one of his most famous poems, Harlem. Langston Hughes' poem, Harlem, showcases his nihilistic outlook on the American dream by highlighting the common struggles of African Americans during the time period.

Langston Hughes is an African American male poet, who constructed his poems during the Harlem Renaissance period. Many of Hughes' poems are inspired by life events and portray the struggles black Americans face in everyday society. Hughes' works tend to include the idea of one's true identity as an American or the conjured idea of the "American Dream", the realization of oneself and racism. His poems “Theme for English B” and “I, Too” are both pieces of work that perfectly explain the racial inequality and imbalance within America's system.

Why are people treated differently in all aspects of their life solely based on something as simple as the color of their skin? Langston Hughes is a writer who uses rhythmic styles and blues music to show what it’s like being a person of color living amongst the racial inequality of his time. The positivity showcased in his work helps his points to flow more easily because it connects the reader with the text. Connected an audience to the topic someone is writing about is important so you share the same viewpoints. He gained more support because people really liked what he had to say and wanted more. Hughes was very into blues music because when used in his work, the mood he was aiming for was easily displayed to the audience. Along with the comparisons to blues music, rhythmic styles can be compiled to contrast race issues with the Harlem renaissance.