How Is Langston Hughes Related To The Harlem Renaissance?

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The Harlem Renaissance was a notable point in American history when African American culture was thriving. A time of widespread re-birth for African Americans, every aspect of the culture flourished. In the literature realm, influential writers such as Langston Hughes reflected this flourish of culture in their writing while others such as Ralph Ellison became active towards the end of the Harlem Renaissance and engaged in deeper thought about societal issues. While Hughes and Ellison are often closely related, there are key distinctions between the two which are revealed in their unique styles and approaches to the African American experience in America. As a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes wrote many poems, novels, …show more content…

Celebrating the beauty, strength, and diverse culture of his people, Hughes also acknowledged the pressing realities of racism, segregation, and economic inequality in America. Hughes did not believe in separating himself from his community and was passionate about accurately representing the everyday life of African Americans even amid criticism. To capture these everyday experiences, Hughes was committed “to the Black cause all along his career and succeeded in navigating the two worlds of Black and White intelligentsia and in maintaining his cultural posturing at a time when Black positive cultural images were promoted and when his representation of humble Black people was resented(Dualé 3)”. Connecting with African American communities even further, Hughes used vernacular language in his poetry as well as jazz rhythms which developed into a style that is known today as “jazz poetry”. Hughes found it was essential to write using language and themes that were familiar and appealing to anyone who possessed basic literacy …show more content…

Using his signature style as well as vivid imagery and metaphor, Hughes addresses the harm that comes when the dream of racial equality continues to be deferred, as well as the negative effects that accompany shattered dreams of any kind. The imagery of a “raisin in the sun” represents the withered dreams, and metaphors such as “sore” and “rotten meat” capture the feelings of stagnancy in the fight for racial equality (1,2,4). Another intriguing aspect of Harlem is the interrogative nature of the poem. By asking repeated questions about the deferred dreams, Hughes invites readers into a conversation while also expressing the feelings of frustration and disillusionment that African Americans experienced as their dreams of equality and progression were in gridlock. Ending the poem with the question “Or does it explode?”, Hughes provides room for interpretation regarding what will cone of deferred dreams (10). The word “explode” could be interpreted as either a metaphor for civil unrest or the result of the unresolved issues of racial

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