Langston Hughes Early Autumn

718 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Langston hughes' symbolism

In the short story Early Autumn by Langston Hughes, we saw an interaction between Mary and Bill who haven’t seen each other in awhile. We can conclude that they used to be old lovers based on the interaction between them. How would someone feel if they ran into their ex after a long time and they weren’t interested in them? Hughes uses imagery and dialogue to convey that Bill is not interested in Mary. Many times throughout the story Bill points out Mary’s flaws. The words Hughes uses helps us understand the interaction better by painting a picture in the reader's minds. When he said, “At first he did not recognize her, to him she looked so old” (Hughes). It shows that right from the beginning of their interaction he did not have any feelings left for her. If he had any feelings left for her, he would not point out her flaws. Another part of the story is when he almost said something disrespectful to her: “You’re looking very….. (he wanted to say old)..... well, he said” (Hughes). This just shows that he has no love for her. …show more content…

The title Early Autumn means it is fall. During fall, the leaves die and fall off the tree. “The leaves fell slowly from the trees in the square” (Hughes). Hughes did not put this into the story for no reason. The leaves falling paints the picture that their love is over just like the life of the leaf. The setting of the story takes place in New York, which is a very busy city. “People came between them outside, people crossing the street, people they didn’t know” (Hughes). This symbolizes that their love is fading away. In New York, everything is fast-paced. Everyone is in a rush and everyone just keeps moving. The people they see now slowly fade away just like their love. Hughes did not use these imagery examples for no reason. He wanted to make sure the readers understand that the love between them is

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of Summer And Autumn In Something Wicked This Way Comes

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    Autumn is used to depict those who pose a threat towards other people, it is commonly used throughout the novel to describe those associated with the circus. The circus is seen as evil to the boys

    Read More

  • Mrs. Jones, The Hero In Thank You Ma Am, By Langston Hughes

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “Thank You Ma’am” by Langston Hughes, the hero is Mrs. Jones because she made a positive change by teaching Roger a valuable lesson on right from wrong. “He did not want the woman not to trust him. And he did not want to be mistrusted now.” (Hughes, 3). This quotation suggests a shift in character, because Roger went from trying to steal Mrs. Jones’ purse to wanting to gain her trust. In order for that to happen, Mrs. Jones must have affected Roger in a way that caused him to rethink his actions. “The boy wanted to say something else other than ‘Thank you, ma’am’ to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door.” (Hughes, 3). Roger’s wanting to thank Mrs. Jones shows readers that not only was he surprised by Mrs. Jones’ forgiveness towards him but he was thankful

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes

    1388 Words  | 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes was one of the first black men to express the spirit of blues and jazz

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes

    1517 Words  | 4 Pages

    James Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin , Missouri . His parents divorced when he was a small child, and his father moved to Mexico . He was raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen, when he moved to Lincoln , Illinois , to live with his mother and her husband, before the family eventually settled in Cleveland , Ohio . It was in Lincoln , Illinois , that Hughes began writing poetry. Following graduation, he spent a year in Mexico and a year at Columbia University . During these years, he held odd jobs as an assistant cook, launderer, and a busboy, and travelled to Africa and Europe working as a seaman. In November 1924, he moved to Washington , D.C. Hughes's first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1926. He finished his college education at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania three years later. In 1930 his first novel, Not Without Laughter, won the Harmon gold medal for literature.

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes- Theme Analysis

    842 Words  | 2 Pages

    Langston Hughes's stories deal with and serve as a commentary of conditions befalling African Americans during the Depression Era. As Ostrom explains, "To a great degree, his stories speak for those who are disenfranchised, cheated, abused, or ignored because of race or class." (51) Hughes's stories speak of the downtrodden African-Americans neglected and overlooked by a prejudiced society. The recurring theme of powerlessness leads to violence is exemplified by the actions of Sargeant in "On the Road", old man Oyster in "Gumption", and the robber in "Why, You Reckon?"

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes: A Poet Supreme

    1873 Words  | 4 Pages

    Black poetry is poetry that (1) is grounded in the black experience; (2) utilizes black music as a structural or emulative model; and (3) "consciously" transforms the prevailing standards of poetry through and inconoclastic and innovative use of language.

    Read More

  • Fickleness Of The Human Heart In Pablo Neruda's If You Forget Me

    434 Words  | 1 Pages

    The speaker seems to divide his thoughts into three parts: what she knows about their relationship, what would happen if she left him, and what would happen if she were to continue to love him. While the language used in the poem is very romantic with magnificent imagery of autumn leaves, ocean shores, and blooming flowers, the meaning conveyed is not romantic. Instead of expressing a love that would last even unrequited, the speaker explains the reality and selfishness of love. If she forgot him, he would have already forgotten her first.

    Read More

  • A Deeper Look: Langston Hughes's 'Ballad of the Landlord'

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...angston Hughes writes a short 33-line poem that simply shows the barriers between races in the time period when racism was still practiced through segregation and discrimination. The poem captures the African American tenant’s frustrations towards the landlord as well as the racism shown by the landlord. The poem is a great illustration of the time period, and it shows just how relevant discrimination was in every day life in the nineteen-forties. It is important for the author to use literary devices to help better illustrate his point. Each literary device in the poem helps develop the author’s intent: to increase awareness of the racism in the society in the time period.

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    Langston Hughes was a large influence on the African-American population of America. Some of the ways he did this was how his poetry influenced Martin Luther King Jr. and the Harlem Renaissance. These caused the civil rights movement that resulted in African-Americans getting the rights that they deserved in the United States. Hughes was born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. His parents divorced when he was young and his grandmother raised him. She got him into literature and education; she was one of the most important influences on him. He moved around a lot when he was young, due to his parents divorce, but remained a good student and graduated high school. After this he traveled the world and worked in different places, all the things he saw in his travels influenced him. In 1924 he settled down in Harlem where he became one of the important figures in the Harlem Renaissance. He enjoyed listening to blues and jazz in clubs while he wrote his poetry. The music that he enjoyed greatly influenced the style and rhythm of his poetry. The poem “Dream Variations” by Hughes is about an average African-American who dreams of a world where African-Americans are not looked at or treated differently and they can rest peacefully. Yet in real life this was not so, black people and white people were not equal. And the world was not as forgiving and nice as in their dream. This poem is a good example of Hughes writing because it is typical of three things. The first is the common theme of the average life of an African-American and their struggles. Secondly, the style of his writing which is based on the rhythm of jazz and blues- he uses a lot of imagery and similes. Lastly, his influences which are his lonely childhood and growing up as an Afric...

    Read More

  • Langston Hughes Poem Analysis

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Langston Hughes poems reflect the cultural expectation and limitation of being an African American in the mid 1900’s. Poems like “Harlem” and “dreams” reflect how the African American community too had dreams. But due their societal position, they were faced with a dilemma. The dilemma of going against the strong white opposing force or succumb and leave their dreams to “dry up like a raisin in the sun”.

    Read More

  • The Use of Age, Gender, and Memory in "Mother to Son"

    1441 Words  | 3 Pages

    In one of his earliest poems, Mother to Son, Langston Hughes tells his readers that one must have courage and determination to overcome the hurdles of life. This poem is most well known for its dramatic usage of monologue and symbolism of “crystal stairs.” However, the poem also uses other literary devices such as metaphors, repetition, and dialect to create a certain characteristic, impression, and image. Of all the different techniques and literary devices manipulated by Langston Hughes, I would like to discuss his use of age, gender, and memory in uncovering multi-layered meanings of Mother to Son.

    Read More

  • Pygmalion

    1232 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is unclear what Eliza`s feelings are. When she is told by Higgins that she would come back, Eliza thinks that he might be right and that she might not be able to resist him but we will never find out, since the play has an open ending. It remains a mystery whether Eliza decides to live on her own and be a flower girl, independent of Higgins, or risk coming back to him and spending the rest of her life tending to an old bachelor.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Thank You Ma Am

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story, “Thank You, Ma’am” (by Langston Hughes), Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones is a large woman, but throughout the story she tends to be very nice and caring. In “Thank You, Ma’am” there are two character’s, Roger and Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones. Roger is a young, immature fourteen year old boy that tries to steal Mrs. Luella’s purse from her side. Roger falls to the ground, and then Mrs. Luella picks him up and ask him why he is so dirty. After she tells Roger to pick up her pocket book, she drags him down the street and takes him into her house where she lets him wash his face and cooks him a meal. Mrs. Luella ask Roger why he tried to steal her pocket book and he replies back and say that he wanted a pair of blue

    Read More

  • The Poem, To Autumn by John Keats

    310 Words  | 1 Pages

    In line 12 he addresses Autumn's rhetorical question. It is clear that Autumn is the time for harvesting, gathering and preparing for the Winter that lies ahead. The stanza ends appropriately in that it literally describes the process of the last apples being pressed for cider, but more importantly it describes the last breaths of life being squeezed out of Autumn.

    Read More

  • The Legacy Of Langston Hughes's Poetry

    752 Words  | 2 Pages

    For many people a life of obstacles would be impossible to overcome. For Langston Hughes he conquered these obstacles and became the famous poet from the Harlem Renaissance read today. Langston Hughes dedicated his poems to the pride, struggles, and dreams of African American people, and his legacy continues to be felt today.

    Read More

More about Langston Hughes Early Autumn

Open Document