Similarities Between Langston Hughes And Countee Cullen

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Countee Cullen and Lnagston Hughes Poetry The intersection of themes in the poetry of Countee Cullen and Langston Hughes is, perhaps, most evident in their poems ‘Lines to My Father,’ and ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ respectively. A close analysis of the literal meaning and literary styles employed by both poets show that they drew their inspiration from common images, experiences, and the troubled history of the African-Americans. In the ‘Negro Speaks of Rivers,’ the persona claims that his soul has grown as deep as the rivers. In one way, the image of the river captures the essence of ancestry and the continuity of heritage. Throughout the poem, the poet uses various other images such as blood, veins, and sunset to embolden the push for cultural …show more content…

The two poems flow with an optimistic mood and reassuring tone, which connect with the shared hope for freedom and justice as the logical objectives of the cultural struggle. In ‘Lines to My Father,’ the persona applies figurative language to broaden the meaning freedom and justice within the context of the renaissance. Like ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers,’ Cullen’s poem, ‘Lines to My Father’ is couched in a vocabulary of struggle that connect with the bitter memories of slavery and its devastating effect on the culture, livelihoods, and consciousness of the black community in the post-slavery …show more content…

Cullen’s poem alludes to the history of slavery while Hughes dedicates most of the poem’s detail on the historical origin of the black man’s civilization as experienced across vast geographical spaces (Hughes 40). Jointly, the poets explore the historical forces that determined the nature and identity of the African-Americans. Hughes’ poem connects the black man to his original homeland including the aspects of migration, civilization, and heritage. The purpose of the historical details in the two poems is to reconnect the black population in the United States to their past. Cullen reminds the black race of the ruin they incurred because of years of slavery. The poet wants them to acknowledge the injustice and engage in the search for a new consciousness. Hughes wants his targeted audience to take pride in their rich

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