Head Held High

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Recommended: Theme of racial descrimonation in Langston Hughes selected poems

On the road of life, trials arise that one must overcome, Langston Hughes experienced these trials first hand. Growing up among a society influenced by bigotry, Hughes was inspired by heroic stories of african americans, sparking his love of writing and became a popular and influential figure during the Harlem Renaissance. Du Bose Heyward a writer for the New York Herald Tribune wrote: “ a spokesman for a race that must stand or fall. . . . Always intensely subjective, passionate, keenly sensitive to beauty and possessed" Hughes was tested and ridiculed all his life, but went on with such stamina and grace. Langston Hughes's poem, "Mother to Son," and "I, too, Sing America" captivates the reader by using figurative metaphors and interesting dialogue to emphasis the challenges African Americans were phased with in the 1900’s.
Langston Hughes uses metaphors to emphasis on the hardships of life, in Hughes poems “Mother to Son” and “ I, too, Sing America” show the troubles that phase many. Hughes is able to show the prominence of understanding life is not effortless. He repeats the line twice which give the it more importance, in “Mother to Son” Hughes writes: “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” (2) By the speaker saying her life has been nothing like a crystal stair, the reader can infer that life was not all fun and games. Life has been a long hard walk for her and she wants her son to understand that he will not have it easy and he must keep a high head. Hughes relating the stair the mother went along to a crystal stair, is relating the struggles of African Americans to a White Americans life, the racism african americans faced from the rest of the population made their life very challenging. Hughes use ...

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...rstand he is just like them and that he has the same rights as them. This leads to segregation that took place in the early 20th century,when African Americans faced discrimination in every aspect of their lives. Hughes used his life experiences and turned them into messages about equality and discrimination
Langston Hughes poems “Mother to Son” and “I, too, Sing America” both document the life trials that African Americans faced due to bigotry in the early 1900’s. The uses of an metaphor and dialogue key into the overall aspect of Hughes poems a head held high and perseverance can help one through the hardest times. The reader can infer that the Hughes is expressing the true value of African Americans in the society and he sees a brighter future for for all if they keep fighting for their rights.The poetic devices work to emphasis the real message of Hughes poem’s.

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