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Langston hughes and thematic tendencies in poems
A dream deffered by langston Hughes summary
Langston hughes poetic devices
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A dream is a hope, a wish, and an aspiration. Everyone has dreams about what they want to be when they grow up, how they want to live, whom they want to marry and how their life will turn out. However, not all dreams can come true right away. Many of them are just out of reach and can only be attained by hard work, leadership and determination. The poem “A Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes is an example of just that, a dream that is just simply out of reach. So what happens to a dream deferred? Deferred, defined by The New American Webster Dictionary, means to put off, delay or postpone something to a later date. Poetry is filled with many different aspects of poetic language just a few of them being, connotation, denotation, metaphors, similes and imagery. This poem, by Langston Hughes is one of many thatis filled with these different types of poetic language and spikes the ears, eyes and imagination into painting a picture of what the poet was feeling. A dream should always be realized, never deferred.
The poem opens up with a rhetorical question in the very first line, “What happens to a dream deferred?” (1). The rest of the poem goes on to propose an answer to the question. Langston Hughes makes it a point to use words with a very negative connotation, such as dry, fester, sore, stink, rotten, crust and sag. All of these words have an off-putting attitude, and by describin...
Dreams deferred usually end up being diminished from existence. In the novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck the characters dreams, which are put on, hold all get destroyed. Lennie's dream was to live on the land in which he owned and to tend the rabbits (pg.14). He finally was almost about to achieve his dream in a month but after working in a ranch for a few days he killed Curly's wife by accident (pg.94) so he dies and also loses all his dreams so his dreams are pessimistic. Also with Lennie's dream being destroyed also George's dream was which was also to live on a ranch so (pg.7). This happens because he can't make his dream reality without Lennie showing pessimistic out view on dreams. Dreams only can bring you so far it all depends on what your destiny is. This is because even though Lennie and George's dreams were crushed even though they tried there hardest to reach them also Candy, Crooks and Curly's wife dreams were ruined too.
Both poems address the fundamental theme of having a dream. This is the ever-occurring dream that is explored during the Harlem renaissance period; the dream of justice that is deferred. However, even in having the same theme, it is explored and is envisioned by the poets in different ways. In “A Dream Deferred”, Hughes describes the negative potentials of a dream that is delayed, warning that this may be dangerous. For example, he describes how ‘[it may] fester like a sore and then run’ which shows that if this dream remains unfulfilled, it will get ‘infected’ and lead to a greater, more destructive problem (4-5). Also, the dream may ‘crust and sugar over, like a syrupy sweet’, which describes how if a dream is forced to sit idle, it will lose its original goal, and harden into destructive thoughts that are crusted over with doubt, anger and hatred. It is even brought to a greater extreme; where Hughes describes how this dream may simply ‘explode’ (11). This shows the catastrophe that may result from the impatience of African-Americans who really want to achieve this dream of justice. On the other hand, in “My Little ...
“Poetry is the rhythmical creation of beauty in words.” –Edgar Allan Poe. Poetry is one of the world’s greatest wonders. It is a way to tell a story, raise awareness of a social or political issue, an expression of emotions, an outlet, and last but not least it is an art. Famous poet Langston Hughes uses his poetry as a musical art form to raise awareness of social injustices towards African-Americans during the time of the Harlem Renaissance. Although many poets share similarities with one another, Hughes creatively crafted his poetry in a way that was only unique to him during the 1920’s. He implemented different techniques and styles in his poetry that not only helped him excel during the 1920’s, but has also kept him relative in modern times. Famous poems of his such as a “Dream Deferred,” and “I, Too, Sing America” are still being studied and discussed today. Due to the cultural and historical events occurring during the 1920’s Langston Hughes was able to implement unique writing characteristics such as such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues that is demonstrative of his writing style. Langston Hughes use of distinct characteristics such as irregular use of form, cultural and historical referenced themes and musical influences such as Jazz and the blues helped highlight the plights of African-Americans during the Harlem Renaissance Era.
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.
Women in Sparta were more dominant in society than their Athenian sisters. Spartan women were given a good education, they were taught how to read and write, and were good in arts and athletics. Spartan women were expected to be smart enough to control their property. Spartan women had different freedoms and advantages than other Greek women; they had to be physically, emotionally, and intellectually strong. Spartan women were notoriously known for their razor-sharp wit and outspoken natures. They were encouraged to develop their intellect, and owned more than third of the land almost two-fifths of the state. While husbands and sons were working in the military, women took charge of everything inside and outside of the household. Spartan women were in control of their sons until the totalitarian society took them over at the age of 7. Being under a totalitarian society, Sparta had a strong military and citizens did not have an easy lifestyle like the Athenians. A totalitarian society meant that the political system had full control of the state, and controlled all aspects of public and private life. Spartan men dedicated their lives to the forces, and other services to the state of Sparta. Leaving their wife to the family wealth, and owning all property. Athenian men were away discussing politics, and when they came home they expected obedience from their wives. Athenian men had to be in control at all times while in public, but no social control behind closed doors. Athenian women never inherited any property, and they were left available to male relatives. Material power led the women of Sparta and Athens to marry a relative for heritance money. Financial power for women in Athens, was unlawful no woman could be in charge of mon...
Langston Hughes (1902-1967) absorbed America. In doing so, he wrote about many issues critical to his time period, including The Renaissance, The Depression, World War II, the civil rights movement, the Black Power movement, Jazz, Blues, and Spirituality. Just as Hughes absorbed America, America absorbed the black poet in just about the only way its mindset allowed it to: by absorbing a black writer with all of the patronizing self-consciousness that that entails.
“I dream a world where… love will bless the earth and peace its paths adorn.” -- Langston Hughes
What is a dream deferred? Is it something children imagine and lose as they grow up. Do dreams ever die, as we find out, the world is it what it seems. The play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and Harlem by Langston Hughes talk about dreams deferred. It shows a African American family struggling to make their dreams a reality. Although Walter, Ruth, Mama, and Beneatha live in the same house, their dreams are all different from each other.
What happens to a dream deferred?Does it dry uplike a raisin in the sun?Or fester like a sore-And then run?Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over- like a syrupy sweet?Maybe it just sagslike a heavy load.Or does it explode?While Langhston Hughes authors this poem, A Dream Deferred, it can easily be interpreted as Toni Morrison's description of Nel and her life of sorrow and dissatisfaction. Sula and Nel, the protagonists in Toni Morrison's Sula, are each the only daughters of mothers whose distance leaves the young girls with dreams to erase this solitude and loneliness. There is no question that Sula alleviates this aloneness with a lascivious and experimental life, "I'm going down like one of those redwoods. I sure did live in this world"(143). Nel, however, for the most part, fails terribly at realizing her dreams and experiencing a happy existence.
Sparta and Athens were two of the best-known and most powerful city-states in ancient Greece. Sparta was known for its strong military and seemingly insensitive values, while Athens was famous for its democratic government and advanced learning. Sparta valued power and military strength, while Athens was home of the more scholarly, philosophic intellectuals. Though it may seem like Athens was the more advanced of the two, Sparta was ahead in one important aspect: its treatment of women. Spartan women had many rights. They were respected and treated very well. Athenian women, on the other hand, were barely better than slaves. They had little to no rights and received minimum respect, if any. Spartan women led much better lives than their Athenian
Based on Robert W. Strayer’s second edition of Ways of The World, Sparta offers the best life for women, whether it is with regard to her personal finances, physical fitness, or domestic role, Spartan women enjoyed more liberty than their contemporaries did in China, India, Athens, and Rome.
According to page 263, Athenian women were treated differently than mn. First of all, girls did not go to school. Instead, they helped out around the house and were taught by their mothers to cook, clean, spin thread, and weave cloth. Not only did girls help out around the house, but they also learned ancient secret songs and dances for religious festivals. Surprisingly, wealthy girls can become married by the young age of 15. But, there father has to choose who she has to marry. On the other hand, the poor girls have more of a choice to choose who she wants to marry. Lastly, this shows the success of the city state because if the men were always training, there would not be anyone to take care of the houses and crops, which is why the woman did all of the chores. In conclusion, the woman took care of the houses while the men were training.
Undoubtedly, Spartan women had many rights (some more than today too). They had private property and they didn't lose it after divorce, they were in charge of the household due to the fact that men were often out at the assembly or at war. They get married later than other Greek women (not before 18 when instead in Athens also at 14). To have an older husband was common as a male became a real "Spartan" at the age of 30. But this doesn't mean they had too old husbands because they should be able to be prolific (also the life expectancy was not so long for males that came to war).
Only recognized free male citizens of Sparta were regarded. These were the only people who could make decisions affecting the community. They were known as the assembly which happens to be the lowest level in the community. Spartan females like other Greek cities had no rights to political and economic affairs as they were regarded as inferior. In addition slaves, Periokoi & Helots had no rights in the Spartan community.
First were the aristocrats, then the small farmers and lastly, the thetes, metics, ands slaves (Two Faces of Greece). On the other hand, Spartan society consisted of the spartiates at the top, then the perioeci and lastly, the helots (Two Faces of Greece). The societies of Athens and Sparta also differed greatly in values. Athens was mainly based on democratic values and focused on the participation in the government. On the other hand, Sparta was firmly built on militaristic values. Starting at the age of seven, boys who lived in Sparta were sent to train in the art of warfare and from then on, the whole lives of Spartan men revolved around being part of the military. On the other hand, Athenian boys studied numerous subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics, music, poetry, sports, and gymnastics starting at the age of seven and can pursue different fields other than being a soldier once they reach adulthood (Two Faces of Greece). This is because unlike in Sparta, joining the military is not mandatory in Athens. Moreover, because of Sparta’s immense focus in developing a strong and massive army, farming was not done by the citizens, but by the helots. Athens and Sparta also differed in their treatment of women. In Athens, girls were only taught how to spin, weave, and perform other domestic art. In contrast, at the age of seven, girls in Sparta were taught reading, writing, gymnastics, athletics, sports and survival