Essay on The Use of Laughter in Poetry by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes remains known as the most impressive, durable Negro writer in America. His tone of voice is as sure, and the manner he speaks with is original. During the twenties when most American poets were turning inward, writing obscure and esoteric poetry, Hughes was turning outward using language and themes, attitudes, and ideas familiar to anyone who had the ability simply to read. He often employs dialect distinctive of the black urban dweller or the rural black peasant. Throughout Langston Hughes career, he was aware of injustice and oppression, and used his poetry as a means of opposing them. James D. Tyms says, “Hughes writes lyric poems. But his “lyric” persona is often able to copy this social convention of the Negro Folk. Their use of the method of the ballad, to tell others how they feel” (191). Hughes lived as an

Comedy is an important aspect in Thomas King’s short story, “A Short History of Indians in Canada”, as well as Ernest Hemingway’s short story, “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place.” The differing purposes of humour in these two short stories are what separates them in terms of the effect comedy has on the writing. Thomas King integrates satire, a form of humourous ridicule, to convey the inability of the Native population to adapt to white civilization and the demeaning, yet normal opinion that the white men have regarding this issue. Similarly, Jennifer Wallace’s article, “Tragedy and Laughter” contributes to King’s comedic strategy, as she acknowledges that a serious matter can be presented in an amusing way that allows the audience to gain

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

Especially in times of difficulty, such as those of economic depression, talking seriously about serious things all the time may only worsen the situation. People want relief from what troubles them, and one of the best ways to provide this relief is through comedy. Thus, this play, and many others, takes on the serious topics it involves and discusses all of them with a lightheartedness that people can both relate to and laugh at. It thus, while not being inaccessible to the thoughts of the audience is still able to give the audience an escape from what may be troubling them. Humor is one of the best coping mechanisms, and that is not only true for this play. Many successful fixtures of pop culture thrive off of the same concept, including Saturday Night Live, which for decades has been successfully satirizing contemporary issues and bringing laughs to times and topics that may need them most. Ultimately, this play is a fantastic example of how we not only deal with similar issues in different countries and different decades, but how we also deal with them in similar ways, specifically

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

Another popular character which has its origin in slavery is the African-American clown. It is easy to observe that man exults in his superiority over lower animals by teaching them to do tricks and to be entertained by those tricks. The jester, the clown, or the fool, as the inferior one who was responsible for making his superior laugh have been African-Americans. This has carried over in the present day as a defense mechanism for young African-American students in a classroom type situation. People do not take you seriously if you don't take yourself seriously. A sense of humor brings necessary balance to an organized life, but a life of humor blinds one to life.

Pathos: "Some of the owners of Harlem clubs... made the grievous error of barring their own race, after the manner of the famous Cotton Club." The Harlem clubs exchanged the Negroes for making more money, and it hurt the owners’ characters, which appeals to pathos. "But most of these quickly lost business...because they failed to realize that a large part of the Harlem attraction...lay in simply watching the colored customers amuse themselves." If they would have stuck together the Negros, they would have not only maintained their business, but they would have also stayed loyal with their original

The playwright, 40-year-old Young Jean Lee, is currently one of the most acclaimed writers in America according to New York Times. Her work revels in subverting generalizations. With Straight White Men, Lee was contemplating and investigating the issue: What do you do with privilege— and do we abuse it and take it for granted? Lee, who is Korean-American, aimed to make Straight White Men, a play with four straight white men discussing this issue on stage in front of an audience. For the 21st century audience this play is more relevant today than it would have been a few years ago. It portrays opinions and displays some of the world's most pressing problems and debates that are surrounding us today. Yet, to what extent has this impacted upon her work? Using only 3 brothers and their father as the driving force behind the production, Lee’s intriguing play, performed by La Boite Theatre in association with State Theatre Company South Australia, goes a long way past cheap satire. It turns into an

Langston Hughes once said, “Negroes - Sweet and docile, Meek, humble, and kind: Beware the day - They change their mind.” Poetry has had a profound impact on the society and culture of the American people, changing styles throughout the decades, but remaining steady in

The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams.

Langston Hughes is an extremely successful and well known black writer who emerged from the Harlem Renaissance (“Langston Hughes” 792). He is recognized for his poetry and like many other writers from the Harlem Renaissance, lived most of his life outside of Harlem (“Langston Hughes” 792). His personal experiences and opinions inspire his writing intricately. Unlike other writers of his time, Hughes expresses his discontent with black oppression and focuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’ heartfelt concern for his people’s struggle evokes the reader’s emotion. His appreciation for black music and culture is evident in his work as well. Langston Hughes is a complex poet whose profound works provide insight into all aspects of black

Prejudice is a cancer that spreads hate among its perpetrators and victims alike. In 1930 Langston Hughes penned the novel, Not Without Laughter. This powerful story, written from the perspective of an African-American boy named James “Sandy” Rodgers, begins in the early 1900’s in the small town of Stanton, Kansas. Through the eyes of young Sandy, we see the devastating impact of racism on his family and those they are close to. We also see how the generations of abuse by whites caused a divide within the black community. Among, and even within, black families there were several social classes that seemed to hinge on seeking equality through gaining the approval of whites. The class someone belonged to was determined by the color

The production spearheaded with a solemn poem by Langston Hughes entitled "Harlem." Preparing for an emotionally empowering theater piece, the poem quieted the audience and placed a serious blanket over us. While appropriate for me, I found it extremely coincidental that the poem's title, ties in directly with James Baldwin and his extensive writings on the 1943 Harlem race riots. With the lights off and just a solitary voice reciting the poem, it gave us, the audience, an immediate notion of play's melancholy style.

When looking at the origins of African-American Dramas specifically in Mulatto, Native Son, A Raisin in the Sun, Funnyhouse of a Negro, Great Goodness of Life, and Dutchman, the emotions of all these characters created the sense that everyone in this time were still searching for their identity. Each character in the plays had to overcome difficulties relating to their skin color, thus causing either confusion or confidence in their search for what defines them as their self. It created internal conflicts and they often blamed society for specific expectations and stereotypes. How the characters decided to express their feelings in emotions demonstrates a sense of realism and how they viewed themselves. In each play, we are able to see how the characters deal with the searching of their identity through various emotions and internal conflicts through their life choices.

In exploring the problem of identity in Black literature we find no simple or definite explanation. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that it is rooted in the reality of the discriminatory social system in America with its historic origins in the institution of slavery. One can discern that this slavery system imposes a double burden on the Negro through severe social and economic inequalities and through the heavy psychological consequences suffered by the Negro who is forced to play an inferior role, 1 the latter relates to the low self-estimate, feeling of helplessness and basic identity conflict. Thus, in some form or the other, every Negro American is confronted with the