Poem Analysis: Cross By Langston Hughes

I have learned a lot from this poetry project. It has given me a much more complex view of literature, especially poetry. Poetry allows writers to use less conventional methods of writing traditional literature to expound upon ideas or tell stories. Langton Hughes’ poem “Cross” is a perfect example of that.

The poem “Cross” by Langston Hughes gave an engrossing perspective of racism in America. The way that Hughes conveyed his views in the poem is very creative. He wrote the poem in a first-person point of view from an unknown narrator. I feel like he did this intentionally so that he could remove himself from the poem to make it more objective. This poem also has an underlying theme. Langston Hughes subtly addresses the economic effect of

racism. In the final four lines, the narrator says that their father died in a “fine big house” while their mother died in a “shack.” Racism in Hughes’ time did not only affect African-Americans socially by being segregated, but they were also denied access to the quality schools, houses, and hospitals that white Americans did have access to. Hughes does an amazing job of conveying such an impactful story in very few words.
Analyzing this poem initially seemed like it was going to be a much simpler task than what it turned out to be. Hughes is a very intelligent man and an incredible poet. His poems usually are short, yet send long-lasting messages. “Cross” is one of his shortest and most complex poems. No word in this poem contains more than two syllables.