During the Harlem Renaissance, Claude McKay and Langston Hughes were renowned figures that helped to sway the movement to a national level. They wrote many works of literature that brought much attention to the issues that were occurring in the United States. One of those issues that they wrote about was the racism that was discriminating the African-Americans. They both agreed that this racism must end. McKay shows this in his poem “America,” while Hughes wrote the poem titled “Democracy." They were in favor of radical and communistic ideas, which would hurt their image for years to come. Although, they had different opinions on the manner that racism should be fought, McKay and Hughes held the same belief that to end racism against African-Americans, radical moves are needed to be used.
In his poem, “America,” McKay personifies the United States as a woman that feeds him the painful “bread of bitterness,” and extracts the pain he endures by the country's “Tiger tooth in his throat” (McKay 2147). He illustrates that the racism that the country gives him the pain that makes him very dependent on the current ways that the nation is treating him. However, the pain that he endures is drained by the love that he has developed for this country. In "Democracy", Hughes states that “democracy will
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not come…through fear and compromise” (Hughes 2270). He means that the African-Americans will not be able to gain the rights they want by making a deal with both fear and compromise. These two sets of stanzas are similar because they state what racial discrimination has inflicted upon them and what should be done to fight against it. They each gain something that they believe will help them achieve the desired goal, which is to end racism and acquire equal rights for African-Americans. Hughes continues to express in his poem that he “cannot live on tomorrow’s bread” (Hughes 2270).
This means that with the current racial discrimination that is transpiring in the country, he does not want to live on the paltry amount of payments that he receives. Hughes was only able to making a decent living, by writing literature in newspapers and journals (Hughes 2264). McKay expresses this problem as another form of racism because he believed that capitalism as a system that is created to hold racism against certain cultures. He visualized it as the structure that was to create an inequity to economics, where it attacked against different types of minorities (McKay
2144). McKay proclaims that the pain inflicted upon him makes him a stronger man and helps to challenge his life every single day. He does this by stating that he “loves this cultural hell that tests my youth” (McKay 2147). It is illustrated that McKay loves America for what it is and believes this love, as well as the pain that he endures, will help make him stronger to fight against oppression. These mixed feelings give him the belief that this is the only way to attain the rights he wants. Hughes, on the other hand, has had enough and wants his rights immediately. He states that he has “much right that as the other fellow” and everyone else to live the life that he wants (Hughes 2270). Hughes argues that everyone has the right to live the life that they have entrusted, and no one should have to wait through the slow progress in attaining that. McKay continues his poem states that racism “sweeps him like a flood, as a rebel fronts a king in state” (McKay 2147). This text describes that the racial discrimination against African-Americans makes him bolder in his great desire to eliminate it. This desire makes him braver and more willing to stand up against the opposition from the ruling Caucasian’s. Especially, as he faces it with “not a shred of terror, malice, nor word of jeer” (McKay 2147). McKay means that he wants to end bigotry through a non-violent manner, because when a person forces violence on an issue and fails, it could lead to a tighter grip that the Caucasian's have on the rights that African-Americans crave. In “Democracy,” Hughes wants something to be done about the problems that racism has brought upon the African-American community. He states that he is “tired of people saying, let things take its course” (Hughes 2270). This means that he is no longer willing to wait for an action to be done, because he feels this progress is slow and weak, while everyone else is sitting by and hoping for some change for African-Americans. He demands a change to be made quickly and with the strong backing that will keep it in existence. Although, he does not state that this struggle for freedom has to be non-violent, which means that it can be done in a way that he believes is more favorable for the greater good. Hughes continues to express his feelings as he states that “I do not need my freedom when I’m dead” (Hughes 2270). This expresses in the sense that if he attains the freedom that he demands after his death; then he will have no use of it. Freedom has no purpose if the person is dead. McKay, on the contrary, does not state on wanting Freedom after he is dead. He expresses more on the fight for it than on how soon he wants. Hughes, also, displays that freedom is an item that is unyielding when it is needed or demanded. Freedom is a powerful desire that can accomplish a lot; especially during a time that it is fought over. He exhibits this in his poem by writing that “Freedom is a strong seed, Planted in a great need” (Hughes 2270). This is interpreted that when planted, the need for freedom grows stronger as each person desires it. As the need for it grows, the fight for it can then be attenuated to another level of attention. An example in history is when Rosa Parks was arrested for not sitting in the back of a segregated bus in Alabama. This action ushered in the start of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s, where it would be very successful in obtaining the Civil Right Acts that gave the autonomy that African-Americans repine. In “America,” McKay starts to end the poem by stating that he “gazes into the days ahead, and see her might and granite wonders there” (McKay 2147). These words describe how the wonders that best represents a civilization has remained high and proud as its wonders are still intact. He concludes the poem by stating that “beneath the touch of Time’s unerring hand, like priceless treasures sinking in the sand” (McKay 2147). The text is interpreted that McKay is saying that the continuations of the United States policy of racial prejudice towards the African-Americans will lead to its downfall. Racism is a weakness that is slowly killing the country piece by piece and making it become the nation's future setup of doom and destruction. In contrast, Hughes finishes his poem by communicating to the reader that just like everyone; he wants freedom too. He illuminates this by stating that "I live here, too...I want Freedom just as you" (Hughes 2270). The poem is expressing that he lives here too; he and everyone else in the United States deserve to be free. He and many other African-Americans feel that they rightfully deserve the freedoms that will allow them to have a more decent life in America. Instead of being oppressed from it, by the ruling Caucasians in America. McKay and Hughes both have stated in their poems they want to end racism and have the African-Americans enjoy additional freedoms. They each understand that it has to be done, or else the United States will have no progression into the future. However, they both have implied ideas that are distinctive on how the fight against racism should be combated. Only McKay expresses that it should be done in a non-violent manner; This is similar to the methods used by Martin Luther King Jr. in the Civil Rights Movement during the 1960's. Hughes asserts for it to be done immediately, but does not state nor implies on how it should be done in "Democracy"; it can be non-violent or not, as long as it is successful and has strong support to back it for generations to come. Both "America" and "Democracy" are part of many other works that were written to help influence the Harlem Renaissance and gained national attention. These two poets wrote these poems in hopes of making a change that will inspire many people to take action on the issues of racism in America.
In his poems, Langston Hughes treats racism not just a historical fact but a “fact” that is both personal and real. Hughes often wrote poems that reflect the aspirations of black poets, their desire to free themselves from the shackles of street life, poverty, and hopelessness. He also deliberately pushes for artistic independence and race pride that embody the values and aspirations of the common man. Racism is real, and the fact that many African-Americans are suffering from a feeling of extreme rejection and loneliness demonstrate this claim. The tone is optimistic but irritated. The same case can be said about Wright’s short stories. Wright’s tone is overtly irritated and miserable. But this is on the literary level. In his short stories, he portrays the African-American as a suffering individual, devoid of hope and optimism. He equates racism to oppression, arguing that the African-American experience was and is characterized by oppression, prejudice, and injustice. To a certain degree, both authors are keen to presenting the African-American experience as a painful and excruciating experience – an experience that is historically, culturally, and politically rooted. The desire to be free again, the call for redemption, and the path toward true racial justice are some of the themes in their
During the Harlem Renaissance, both Claude McKay and Langston Hughes developed an analysis of their time period through poetry. Each writer has a different poem but allude to the same theme. The White House by Claude McKay and I, Too, Sing, America by Langston Hughes makes a relevant comparison to the racial inequality during the 1900s. Both make a point about how White America has withheld equal rights from Blacks or Black America, making it hard for them to survive. More specifically, The White House speaks about the type of oppression being experienced during racial segregation and trying to triumph over it while I, Too, Sing, America speak about what created their oppression and envisioning change in the future.
Like most, the stories we hear as children leave lasting impacts in our heads and stay with us for lifetimes. Hughes was greatly influenced by the stories told by his grandmother as they instilled a sense of racial pride that would become a recurring theme in his works as well as become a staple in the Harlem Renaissance movement. During Hughes’ prominence in the 20’s, America was as prejudiced as ever and the African-American sense of pride and identity throughout the U.S. was at an all time low. Hughes took note of this and made it a common theme to put “the everyday black man” in most of his stories as well as using traditional “negro dialect” to better represent his African-American brethren. Also, at this time Hughes had major disagreements with members of the black middle class, such as W.E.B. DuBois for trying to assimilate and promote more european values and culture, whereas Hughes believed in holding fast to the traditions of the African-American people and avoid having their heritage be whitewashed by black intellectuals.
Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes Before and Beyond Harlem Connecticut: Lawrence Hill and Company Publishers, 1983
Alexis de Tocqueville and Langston Hughes both have their own ideas about what America is, was, and should be. Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America praises American democracy in which everyone is included. This inclusion allows for democracy that everyone can be a part of and feel like they are contributing. On the contrary, Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again” depicts an excluding America that does not treat everyone equivalently. Hughes portrays America as a misrepresentation that does not uphold the ideals that it is so famous for. The two works contrast in many ways but do have some similarities. Although their ideas are different, politics is still a choice. Tocqueville describes politics as a choice that everyone should make as it benefits them all while Hughes describes politics as a choice that some do not have the power to take part in. The differing sentiments between Democracy in America and “Let America Be America Again” stem
Throughout African American history different individuals have made a significant impact that would forever change things. In the 1900s Harlem became the governing body for the birth of jazz and blues. This also open door for a new era called the Harlem Renaissance. During this time a poet name Langston Hughes was introduced. Langston Hughes created poetry that stood out to people. It had that jazzy vibe mixed with articulate language of choice. He could seize the minds of people with the soulfulness of his writing, and depict the struggles of what was going on with blacks. Some individuals see Langston Hughes as the inspired poet of the Harlem Renaissance time. Mr. Hughes used his body of work to compare and contrast things to create the groundwork for the Harlem Renaissance period.
...nly country to force the race into slavery, they were just the last to free the slaves, and also had the worst treatment for the blacks. For years races were discriminated in the country of America, and it still this way today. Poets such as Langston Hughes, Lucille Clifton, and Colleen McElroy were evolutionary poets who wrote about their desire for freedom and equal treatment. Langston Hughes poems were more about the building up of the tension that existed in all of his people who were ready to start fighting for their freedom. Colleen McElroy wrote about how the blacks in America still were apart of there past because of the color of their skin and simply just because of where they were from. Lucille Clifton wrote about the desire for the recognition her race and all of the other races of America, besides the Whites, would finally be appreciated for their work.
Both authors took a leap by publishing works that criticized their oppressors, a leap that put them each in harm’s way. Each poet was able to inspire and educate in their own way, using their own personal touches; Hughes, working to inform his people and unite them against a common enemy through passionate prose, and McKay, working to ignite the passions of his audience in order to compel them to take a forceful stand. The importance of both perspectives operating in unison cannot be understated. A broader set of perspectives and beliefs about the same issue is effective in inspiring a broader, larger, and more diverse group of readers. The sad image that Hughes creates was most likely effective in reaching even the white Americans who already enjoyed their full freedom, by opening the eyes of whites and other unoppressed races to the plights of early African-Americans. In contrast, McKay’s poem was most likely more effective in rallying African-Americans specifically. The advantage of these (though not greatly) differing messages was immense, and underlines the importance of differing viewpoints, and also inspired different groups of people, in order to bring about a more rapid, and more universally agreed upon change. Against a tyrannical force such as a racist majority, these two viewpoints
...for equal rights. In some poems McKay even called for violent acts to change the laws, however, as an educated man, reason prevailed. As result he adopted religion, and his poetry, like himself became conflicted. Out of this confliction came some of the most powerful African American poetry in history. Claude McKay poured his soul onto to paper, and as a result, it seeps in to all who read it.
Claude McKay was an important figure during the 1920's in the Harlem Rennaisance. Primarily a poet, McKay used the point of view of the outsider as a prevalent theme in his works. This is best observed in such poems as "Outcast," "America," and "The White House." In these poems, McKay portrays the African-American as the outsiderof western society and its politics and laws and at times, the very land that he is native to.
...qual treatment for every single individual. Hughes is clearly motivating the reader or the listener to take action not against America but against the corruption that is taking place in America because the true America is pure and good.
One of the advantages of how he wrote his poetry is that it can take hold of people by exemplifying his accounts of the everyday life that the disenfranchised experience. Hughes took on the injustices that other dared no to speak of. He wrote about how the African-American people of the 1920’s suffered the plight of racial inequality. In many cases I believe that Hughes used his writing as an instrument of change. In “Come to the Waldorf-Astoria” (506) Hughes tackles the drastic disparity between wealthy whites and the African Americans of the 1930’s. This piece displays an unconventional style for a poem; using satire to capture the reader’s attention. By using this satiric form of poetry Hughes is able to play on the emotions of the white reader, while at the same time inspiring the black readers. Hughes is constantly comparing the luxuries of the Waldorf-Astoria to the hardships that the African American people were experiencing. “It's cold as he...
Langston Hughes was probably the most well-known literary force during the Harlem Renaissance. He was one of the first known black artists to stress a need for his contemporaries to embrace the black jazz culture of the 1920s, as well as the cultural roots in Africa and not-so-distant memory of enslavement in the United States. In formal aspects, Hughes was innovative in that other writers of the Harlem Renaissance stuck with existing literary conventions, while Hughes wrote several poems and stories inspired by the improvised, oral traditions of black culture (Baym, 2221). Proud of his cultural identity, but saddened and angry about racial injustice, the content of much of Hughes’ work is filled with conflict between simply doing as one is told as a black member of society and standing up for injustice and being proud of one’s identity. This relates to a common theme in many of Hughes’ poems: that dignity is something that has to be fought for by those who are held back by segregation, poverty, and racial bigotry.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes opened the doors to African American art. Throughout history, there has been a lot of issues with racial inequality. During the Harlem Renaissance, many African Americans wanted to prove they were just as intelligent, creative, and talented as white Americans. Langston Hughes was one of the people who played an influential part in the Harlem Renaissance. His poem “Harlem” painted a very vivid picture of his life and his outlook on the society he lived in.
McKay’s long poem contains many progressions. There is no space between lines; it is a continuous poem as it requires the readers remain focus from the beginning to the end. This poem could be effectively presented as a speech to soldiers who are about to fight with their enemies. Therefore, the poem must be long so that it can gradually stir up the morale of the soldiers. Each line is almost the same length, indicating the formal attitude of the speaker who is possibly the leader. Also, as a motivational speech, it has to be consistent so that it can capture the soldiers’ attention without distraction. However, in contrast, the length of “Harlem” is short, and the poem is inconsistent: it consists of eleven lines broken into four stanzas. The first and last stanzas contain one line, while the other two contain seven and two lines respectively. Some lines are short, others are longer. Therefore, readers might become uncomfortable or frustrated while reading it; but this seem to be the poet’s purpose, Hughes utilizes the length of his poem to convey to readers, especially the whites, the blacks’ feelings of dreams being deferred because of racism and injustice in society. Additionally, because the poem is short, the readers might understand Hughes’ point quickly. It also implies that the speaker has