How Did Langston Hughes Write Harlem

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Before the Civil Rights movement, African Americans were severely discriminated against by the Caucasian community. African Americans faced segregation and were limited to the opportunities that were often granted to Caucasians. Many leaders responded to this unethical treatment through music, writing, speeches, etc. to express their need for social reform. Skilled poet and social activist, Langston Hughes, acknowledged this issue through his poem, “HARLEM”, by voicing his perspective of dreams and how crucial they are, not only to Caucasians, but the African American community itself. Beginning in 1920, the Harlem Renaissance highlighted the artistic aspects of African American culture. Hughes, a key figure of this movement, published many …show more content…

This creates a dramatic effect by leaving the reader with a lasting impression that enables a wide variety of interpretations. However, it can be reasonably inferred that by comparing a deferred dream to an explosion, the author is suggesting that the frustration and broken hopes of the African American community can lead to intense outcomes, only to be predicted by the reader. Unlike the emotional aspect of his writing, Hughes’ usage of logistics and credibility relate to the implied understanding of the historical context of the poem. The title, “HARLEM”, evokes both an emotional and logical appeal by connecting the reader to where the poem takes place. By naming his poem after the neighborhood where the Harlem Renaissance took place, he provides historical context to the reader by establishing the overall background of the text. Hughes’ sense of credibility that is provided to the reader stems from his personal experiences as a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance. Through writing this poem, he establishes reliability by sharing his perspective of the discrimination endured and the inability of African Americans to carry out their …show more content…

By addressing the struggles of the African American community during this time, the author was able to express his desire for the change of racial inequality through a tone that can be described as both frustration and disappointment. Hughes illustrates this tone of voice by using vivid imagery to describe the potential outcomes of deferred dreams. When the author states, “Does it dry up like a rain in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run? (Hughes lines 2-5),” he uses unpleasant descriptions to bring emphasis to his sense of frustration. As the poem continues, the author portrays a tone of urgency through the repeating of rhetorical questions. Hughes states, “Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over– like syrupy sweet? (Hughes lines 6-8).” The use of repetition when asking rhetorical questions conveys the author’s demand for action to be taken by emphasizing the cruciality of addressing the question, “What happens to a dream deferred? Hughes line

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