Segregation Of The Blacks By Langston Hughes

Lucille Clifton was a prolific and widely respected poet, Clifton's work emphasizes endurance and strength through adversity, focusing particularly on African-American experience and family life. (Poetry Foundation, 2017) Lucille mainly talks about her life as an African American. Her view transcends the black experience “ to embrace the entire world, human and non-human, in the deep affirmation she

"The Word Black (The Chicago Defender, November 3, 1951)" is a short story written by Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes talks about how the word black is used in a negative way. For example, blacklist, blackmail, black ball, or black sheep. To addition, he talks about the word "White" should be used in a negative way. For instances, Langston said "Wait till my days will come!In my language, bad will be white."

Langston Hughes was the leading voice of African American people in his time, speaking through his poetry to represent blacks. His Influence through his poems are seen widely not just by blacks but by those who enjoy poetry in other races and social classes. Hughes poems, Harlem, The Negro speaks of rivers, Theme for English B, and Negro are great examples of his output for the racial inequality between the blacks and whites. The relationship between whites and blacks are rooted in America's history for the good and the bad. Hughes poems bring the history at large and present them in a proud manner. The injustice that blacks face because of their history of once being in bondage is something they are constantly reminded and ridiculed for but must overcome and bring to light that the thoughts of slavery and inequality will be a lesson and something to remember for a different future where that kind of prejudice is not found so widely.

“The history for Blacks in America starts at slavery,” the further I ponder this statement from my friend Joe, a navy veteran, the more I do not believe it to be true. Today many Blacks in America do not remember stories of their African heritage. Although, they may not know their African history, it does exist, and they did originate from Africa. So, their history does not start at slavery. In a recorded interview, Langston Hughes says he wrote the poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” in 1920, after he completed high school. Hughes also credits his source of inspiration to the Mississippi river which he passed, while on the train, to visit his father in Mexico. He acknowledged what the Mississippi symbolized to Negro people and how it was linked

The poem I, Too by Langston’s Hughes was written in a prosperous time for black Americans who had obtain their cultural identity through expression of literature, art, music, and poetry. This time period is often referred as the Harlem Renaissance because it was “cultural rebirth” of the black community that took place in Harlem, New York. Many great poets and writers such as Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen were blossomed during this time, they often expressed themselves through literature inspiring and enlightening their audience. Also with hopes of civil rights for black Americans who sought for a brighter future for generations to come. The literary work by Langston’s Hughes, I, Too expresses the yearning of the black community wanting to express themselves as Americans. Langston Hughes is able to captivate racial issues through his poetry in the context of his choice while applying historical viewpoints. Allowing his audience then and now to understand the struggle and empowerment of black Americans during this time.

We are affected in many ways based on race and social status. It is how we over come these challenges, that makes us who we are. The question is what is wrong with black? I read an essay by Langston Hughes in which he breaks down the use of the word black. This essay provides the idea of how the word black creates a negative impression of African Americans. I found this essay rather interesting and biased in some cases, but it is an essay I feel everyone should read. In this essay he uses explains what the word black really means and the negative connotation that is sometimes attached to it. He stated how(709-710)”white folks have done used that word to mean something bad so often until now when the N.A.A.C.P. asks for civil rights for

James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was very small, and his father (who found American racism made his desires to be a lawyer impossible) left the family and emigrated to Mexico. Hughes' mother moved with her child to Lawrence, Kansas, so she and he could live with his grandmother, Mary Langston.

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.

The term identity is defined by Webster’s dictionary as being “the state or fact of remaining the same one or ones, as under varying aspects or conditions” however in exploring the concept of Identity in black literature, we can find no definite explanation or definition. We can try to accept that it has been rooted in social situations that are generally more discriminatory, such the institution of slavery. In some way shape or form, the average or normal African American is confronted with the question of where do I fit in amongst the white society? The problem with African American Identity has many dimensions, such as community, class, and color.

When researching the phrase “self-awareness”, one definition seems to be very common. That is, “an awareness of one's own personality or individuality”(Merriam Webster). One day the class was put to the task of coming up with our own definition of self-awareness, and I had completely drawn a blank, and could not seem to come up with anything. After class, that assignment really intrigued me, and I wanted to think what self-awareness meant to me. Some time had passed but it finally came to me; to me, self awareness is when someone knows their worth as a person, as well as knowing where they stand in society. It is when they realize who they are, how they got to be where they are, where they belong, and they are conscious of their feelings. All throughout multiple works by Langston Hughes, multiple characters’ success at achieving self-awareness is evident through different quotations.

“I swear to the Lord I still can 't see Why Democracy means Everybody but me..” This is a quote from a well-known poet by the name of Langston Hughes who served as a prominent figure in African American history and is known for maintaining a significant role in one of the most culturally influential periods for African Americans -The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance describes a significant era in time where hundreds or artists, writers and musicians living in Harlem came together to form a vibrant, creative community. Hughes along with many other talented and innovative African American creators and politicians such as Marcus Garvey, Zora Neal Hurston and Jean Toomer used their voices, words, instruments and paint brushes from

transforms his own slave narrative into a novel about a phenotypically white slave woman. This adds great meaning to mixed race individuals throughout the text because a white female will ultimately be the symbol of liberty for slaves. For instance, Clotel is the daughter of Jefferson, and is still not able to be liberated from the inevitable fate that black slaves faced. She was sold into slavery, even though she resembled the white race more than the black race.

Langston Hughes’s “Harlem” questions what would happen if one doesn’t fulfill one’s dreams. Hughes is an African American who wrote this poem in 1951. During this time, the African Americans didn’t have many rights so “Harlem” could have been written to show the experiences and thoughts that the African Americans had at the time. Hughes uses similes to appeal to the senses of taste, smell, and touch which creates a vivid image of what deferred dreams would “look” or be like.

Momma Never Said Life Would Be Easy “Harlem” by Langston Hughes was written in 1994. The poem “Harlem” is about the Harlem Renaissance that took place in a New York neighborhood in the 1900s. During the 1900s, African Americans were in the transition from slaves to equal citizens with the ability to get paid for a job. Throughout his poem, he compares the attempts to be successful in America as African American to rotten fruits, disgusting infections, and sweets. Langston Hughes uses rhetorical questions, imagery, and similes in “Harlem” to overemphasize the difficulties African American have with success in America.

Poetry is a complicated yet beautiful artform. It allows for an individual to express their emotions and ideas by painting a picture using eloquent lines. Although alluring, poetry is also perplexing. It is almost impossible to fully understand what the author was exactly trying to get across in writing. There are however, multiple factors that can be used to help analyze poetry to get a better feel of that certain piece. In this paper, I will be analyzing Life Is Fine by Langston Hughes using irony, symbols, tone, rhyme, rhythm and meter.