In Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem,” the Structural theory can be observed by looking at the text and comparing it to other works written during the same time. A structural way to look at the poem “Harlem” found on page 560, is to recognize that a majority of the writings (poems and other forms) were based on asking questions. This was written between the time of World War One and after World War Two. There was the idea that the first world war was to end all wars, but then there was a second one. Questions emerged as to what the point of life was, related to death, religion, government expectations and even personal goals and dreams. As questions arose in society, they also were brought up in writing and art, by looking at the questions posed …show more content…
(Owen 25-28)
These two poems, although different in many ways, allow the reader to glimpse the uneasy attitude of war and dying for one’s country. What had once seemed like a dream to many now was a “dream deferred” or a nightmare.
The lack of conviction towards a certain train of thought can further be seen in the next few lines of “Harlem”: “Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?” (Hughes 2-3). With the use of imagery, one is able to actually see the raisin in the sun shriveling up (not unlike society’s perception of what truth is). A similar moment of imagery can be seen in Jean Toomer’s poem “Face” on lines ten through thirteen:
And her channeled muscles
Are cluster grapes of sorrow
Purple in the evening sun
Nearly ripe for worms. (Toomer 10-13)
By incorporating the element of imagery, the concept of wilting and dying and rotting becomes more relatable since more individuals have experienced being around ripening fruit. The way that the descriptions turn delicious fruit into something that is almost perfect for worm food further expresses the disgust and uncertainty which the populous was feeling for life and about their
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The Atom bomb had been created, mustard “gas” was deadly and explosions were going off every which way from guns being fired (Owen 8). The overall effect of all of these questions and statements is whether or not it is important to stand up for something, or if dreams and just beginnings in the end simply get deterred and turned into nightmares.
Through the theory of structuralism, “Harlem” has been examined and compared to other texts written during the same time in order to better understand the populace’s reaction to the war and the uneasiness and questions which generated from it. This poem “Harlem” asks the question “What happens” and then ends with an unknown answer. By ending with the unknown, it is evident that the mystery wasn’t just for writing, but a societal issue that people wanted cleared up and answered. The structure and emotions of the time were just as uncertain as this
Thesis statement: Hughes wrote this when Jim Crow laws were still imposing an bitter segregated society in the South. There were still lynchings of innocent African Americans, there was no Civil Rights Movement, there was no Civil Rights legislation yet, and Blacks couldn't eat at lunch counters in the South. Harlem, however, was not at all like the South in terms of blatant, legal segregation. However, racism was very much in place in many places in America. Blacks were second class citizens, their children attended schools that were ill-equipped, and the dreams of Black citizens were not being realized in this period.
One of Hughes most famous poems, “Harlem(Dream Deferred)” had a great impact by posing lots of questioning. According to critic Tom Hanson, this poem is just that simple because it gives a bunch of undesirable answers to the same question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” Hanson also says how this poem refers almost completely to an unsolved problem (Hanson, Harlem). The poem gives four rather unpleasant interrogatives and one declarative answer followed by the sixth possibility, “Or does it explode?” which is supposed to be a question to make a reader really think. There are several ways to interpret the meaning of the final line, and the most sensible explanation is, the African American community is “deferring dreams” and in doing so their dreams explode in terms of the chance to act is gone. Some may say Hughes presented an unattractive view
Harlem Renaissance was undoubtedly a cultural and social-political movement for the African American race. The Renaissance was many things to people, but it is best described as a cultural movement in which the high level of black artistic cultural production, demanded and received recognition. Many African American writers, musicians, poets, and leaders were able to express their creativity in many ways in response to their social condition. Until the Harlem Renaissance, poetry and literature were dominated by the white people and were all about the white culture. One writer in particular, Langston Hughes, broke through those barriers that very few African-American artists had done before this
In our era today, as you proceed through life, there is discrimination against races. As much as we would like to witness things change for the better we won’t due to some people not taking the chance to rewire their hatred. But in the early 1900’s, some black middle-class families immigrated to Harlem, New York, which at the time was an upper-class white neighborhood. The White’s tried to kick the African Americans out, but ultimately failed. In 1910-1930 African Americans in Harlem have changed what the city was like back then, now it is known for its African American culture. They also created a period called the Harlem Renaissance that is considered a golden age in African American culture. This was a time when they had an artistic explosion,
Langston Hughes was a successful African-American poet of the Harlem renaissance in the 20th century. Hughes' had a simple and cultured writing style. "Harlem" is filled with rhythm, jazz, blues, imagery, and evokes vivid images within the mind. The poem focuses on what could happen to deferred dreams. Hughes' aim is to make it clear that if you postpone your dreams you might not get another chance to attain it--so take those dreams and run. Each question associates with negative effects of deferred dreams. The imagery from the poem causes the reader to be pulled in by the writer's words.
The Harlem Renaissance was a time where creativity flourished throughout the African American community. At the time many African Americans were treated as second class citizens. The Harlem Renaissance acted as artistic and cultural outlet for the African-American community. The Harlem Renaissance, otherwise known as “The New Negro Movement” was an unexpected outburst of creative activity among African Americans In the poems Harlem by Langston Hughes, America by Claude McKay, and Incident by Countee Cullen all use frustration and hope as reoccurring themes to help empower the African-American population and realize the injustices they face day to day. The Harlem Renaissance was a period marked by great change and forever altered the
Right after the World War I, the majority of African Americans moved from South to the North of the United States. New economic and artistic opportunities led them to create and identify themselves in their own culture and heritage. This movement is well-known as the Harlem renaissance. It was accompanied by new lifestyle, music styles, and plenty of talented writers. This paper discusses two poems from this period: Heritage, written by Countee Cullen, and The Weary Blues, written by Langston Hughes.
during this time he quickly became a part of the Harlem Renaissance. Four years later,
Since the emergence of written history, many fables regarding war have encompassed a significant portion of prosodic literature. Two of the foremost war poets of the 19th and 20th century—Emily Dickinson and Rupert Brooke—have both written about profound implications of war on society and also upon the human spirit albeit in two very different styles. The book, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, theorizes through Allie, that Emily Dickinson was indubitably the superior war poet. Furthermore, when we analyze their works as well, we realize the invariable fact that Dickinson’s work delves into war with a much more holistic approach as well. She not only honours the soldiers for their valiant efforts, but also deftly weaves notions of liberty and civilian duty in regards to war as well as compared to Rupert Brooke who carried a romanticized imagery of martyrs within his poetry. In summation, Emily Dickinson is a superior war poet for her incisive analysis of death, and human nature in correspondence to war as compared to the patriotic salvos of Rupert Brooke’s poetry.
Race plays a big part in this poem. He speaks on Harlem and its culture and this environment but also about mutual interest with people
“The Harlem Renaissance was a time where the Afro-American came of age; he became self-assertive and racially conscious… he proclaimed himself to be a man and deserving respect. Those Afro-Americans who were part of that time period saw themselves as principals in that moment of transformation from old to new” (Huggins 3). African Americans migrated to the North in great numbers to seek better lives than in the South as the northern economy was booming and industrial jobs were numerous. This movement brought new ideas and talents that shifted the culture forever. Black writers, such as Langston Hughes, used their work to claim a place for themselves and to demand self-respect in society. Poems that Langston Hughes wrote captured the essence of the complexity of a life that mixes joy and frustration of black American life through the incorporation of jazz and blues in order to examine the paradox of being black in mostly white America, the land of the not quite free.
In our journey through life, we all have certain expectations of how we would like our lives to be. All of us strive to reach a certain level of self-actulization and acceptance. It could thus be said that all of us live a dream. Some of these individual dreams inevitably become the collective dream of many people. In "Harlem (A Dream Deferred)", Langston Hughes makes use of symbolism as well as powerful sensory imagery to show us the emotions that he and his people go through in their quest for freedom and equality. By using questions he builds the poem towards an exciting climax.
Langston Hughes’ poem “Harlem” has to do with a dream that has been put off and what happens to it. This dream happens to be the American dream for African Americans. Hughes wrote this poem in 1951 when America was still heavily racially segregated. African Americans were only associated with slavery so that instantly rendered them as second-class citizens in the eyes of the law. It is assumed that the poem’s title is named after the New York neighborhood, Harlem, a place where African Americans found sanctuary from the racial oppression they faced everywhere else in the country.
“Harlem”, also known as “A Dream Deferred”, is a poem by Langston Hughes published in 1951. The four stanza, free verse poem is composed of six questions and one declarative sentence. This poem reflects the post-World War II mood of many African Americans. The Great Depression and the war were over, but for many African Americans their dreams, whatever particular form it took, were still being deferred. Through this poem Langston Hughes examines the possible effects caused by the dream, when they are constantly deferred. As Hughes explores what happens when dreams are put on hold, the speaker uses a series of similes that compare the act of deferring dreams. To catch the reader's attention, the writer also made sure that specific words and questions stood out. As a result, the
An explosion of written and artistic creativity, a time of social awareness and enlightenment among the black race. The Harlem Renaissance, originally known as ‘The New Negro Movement’, began after the first world war and lasted until the middle of the 1930’s depression. Harlem became a destination for African Americans throughout the early 1900’s as part of the great migration. As more blacks made Harlem their home, it increasingly became well known as an African American cultural center. Poets, writers, artists, musicians, and philosophers all played a key part in this new movement. The Harlem Renaissance brought about uniqueness and the celebration of individuality and ethnic pride among African Americans; everything was modern and fresh. The jazz, the visual arts and color pop while fashion and literature took a cultural twirl towards revolutionary change. This was a period of unprecedented artistic and intellectual achievement among black Americans. This explosion of art and literature led to the birth of African American consciousness. Music was a key component during this time and became the cynosure for jazz bands and blues. Famous Jazz performers including Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday perfected their music and rhythmic closure which became very popular among white audiences. And it was also during this time when the piano was incorporated into the jazz form of music but traditional