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Symbolism in langston hughes
Analysis of Langston Hughes poems
Langston Hughes major influences on writing
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Langston Hughes uses poems to express not only the American dream, but also the dreams of individuals. He also writes about dreams in many different forms such as a current dream we are trying to reach, dreams that we did not succeed in fulfilling or put off, and how we must fight to achieve our dreams even though things get hard and, we feel like giving up. Everyone has dreams they are trying to reach, dreams they never reached or have not reached yet, and dreams they are fighting for. This makes these poems easy for people to relate to and understand on a deeper level. Dreams are not just something we have when we are asleep, but also the dreams we have for ourselves when we are awake. The first poem is “Harlem”. Harlem is about a dream deferred, which means a dream that is put off. The technical element of this poem are tone, speaker, rhythm, structure, and his use of metaphors. The tone of this poem is frustration this is seen with the use of the negative words in the poem such as fester, run, crust, sag, heavy, …show more content…
However, he should never give up on his dreams even when things get hard. Just because thing may get difficult it does not mean he should walk back down the stairs or stay on the same step, “so boy, don’t you turn back. / don’t you set down on the steps” (Hughes). The mother explains how it is so much harder to give up on a dream than it is to fight for a dream, “don’t you set down on the steps/ cause you find it’s kinder hard” (Hughes). The mother is still fighting even though it has not been easy for her, “for I’se still goin’, honey, / I’se still climin,’/ and life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” (Hughes). The mother in this poem uses her struggles to reach her dream as inspiration for her son not to give up on his dreams. This poem made me think about how dreams worth having are worth fighting to
A common theme shared by "Dreams" and "A Dream Deferred" is that you should keep on working to fulfill your dreams because if you don't, you will never achieve them and your life will be miserable. Hughes uses imagery and figures of speech to showcase and develop this theme throughout the two poems. In "Dreams," Hughes writes,"Hold..." This decisive use if a metaphor illustrates how life would be much more difficult and sad if we gave up on our dreams. In "A Dream Deferred," Hughes writes,"Does...?"
Dream Variations, also by Langston Hughes, is a strong poem that conveys his cultural identity. In this poem, Hughes uses the light and dark hours of the day to represent the cultures of white and black people. Hughes says, “To fling my arms wide in some place of the sun. To whirl and to dance till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening beneath a tall tree while night comes on gently, Dark like me-That is my dream!” Hughes compares the daytime to the white man 's work day and correlates the night to himself and his race. This poem clearly conveys Hughes cultural
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 ...
Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes were two great of America’s poets who believed in the American Dream. The American Dream was the ideal that every U.S. citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative. The American Dream meant everything to Whitman and Hughes during that time. Whitman’s poem was titled “I Hear America Singing’’ and Hughes poem was titled “Let America Be America Again.’’ Although Whitman and Hughes agreed that America was the land of opportunity, they had very different perspectives on who had achieved liberty and success.
Although many poets share similarities with one another, Hughes creatively crafted his poetry in a way that was 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 relevant in modern times. Famous poems such as “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 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.
It can cause one to become hopeless and think that it might not ever happen. One can be lead to thought that since Hughes is an African American he can not achieve his dreams due to the society that holds him back. One can see all throughout the poem Hughes uses words that perfectly describe a deferred or delayed dream. Hughes uses words like “fester”, “explode”, “sugar over”, “dry up” and “stink”. One can see that all the words describe a dream deferred in a negative and violent manner.
Langston Hughes also uses diction in "Harlem." "Or does it explode?" This powerful use of diction compares a dream deferred to an explosion. This really makes the reader understand that a dream deferred can simply explode inn your face if you don't use it. "Or crust and sugar over-like a sugary sweet?" This use of diction shows how a dream deferred can appear good but actually be very bad in the end. This is different because the rest of the poem is negative, and this phrase appears positive at first. However, it is actually negative, because a dream deferred may just not be usable anymore. It may just disintegrate. Hughes powerful use of diction convey his theme very well.
With great dreams comes great sacrifices and the ultimate sacrifice is putting that dream on hold. There are many situations that get in the way that force individuals to step away from their dreams and take care of their personal issues. Everyone has the aspiration to fulfill their dreams, but sometimes dreams are set aside for various reason, and some people never return to continue fulfillment. In the poem Harlem, Hughes writes, “Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun?” (Hughes). One of the many sacrifices when in search of the American Dream or any dream in general is the potential of it being put off. Like Langston Hughes says, the dream may dry up like a raisin in the sun, but in actuality the dream is never lost, the remnants are still there. It is simply set aside so when the time is right to continue on with the dream the individual can pick up where they left off. As the dream sits on hold it loses its importance, or it dries up. Putting off a dream is one of the biggest sacrifices someone could make no matter the circumstance. People are sacrificing what their lives could have potentially been. Hughes talks about all of the feelings that come with putting off a dream and describes what could potentially happen to a differed dream. Ultimately, the poem is about the sacrifice of giving up this American Dream and choosing a different
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...
Dreams are aspirations that people hope to achieve in their lifetime. They are a motive that drives lives to accomplish goals. When trying to achieve these goals, people can do anything. However, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream cast aside can frustrate a person in the deepest way. It tends to permeate their thoughts and becomes an unshakable burden. In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, through literary technique, raises strong themes through a short amount of language.
Langston Hughes is a key figure in the vision of the American dream. In his writings, his African-American perspective gives an accurate vision of what the American dream means to a less fortunate minority. His poetry is very loud and emotional in conveying his idea of the African-American dream. Most of his poetry either states how the black man is being suppressed or is a wish, a plea for equality. He does not want the black man to be better than everyone else, but just to be treated equally.
“Harlem” was one of Hughes’s popular poems during the 1950’s. The poem itself is short in length, but it has a lot of meaning behind it. During this time, Hughes wanted to make a difference in poetry. He did not want to be labeled as the young man, only speaking to African Americans. He wanted everyone to understand his great work, regardless of color.
“Harlem” by Langston Hughes is a poem that talks about what happens when we postpones our dreams. The poem is made up of a series of similes and it ends with a metaphor. The objective of the poem is to get us to think about what happens to a dream that is put off, postponed; what happens when we create our very own shelve of dreams? The “dream” refers to a goal in life, not the dreams we have while sleeping, but our deepest desires. There are many ways to understand this poem; it varies from person to person. Some may see this poem as talking about just dreams in general. Others may see it as African-American’s dreams.
The use of personification that Hughes’s gives to the word “Dreams” a conative meaning; so that each individual reader has a different feeling, or emotion attached to the poem. Thus, inspiring readers to go and achieve their dreams. Hughes’s first personifies dreams; giving dreams the ability to die “For is dreams die” and “For when dreams go”; symbolizing that dreams can abandon us if we don’t hold onto them. The personification that Langston Hughes uses in these two lines help reassure the strong, firm and powerful tone throughout the poem.
This theme is shown in lines 5 through 7 which say, “By the pale dull pallor of an old gas light He did a lazy sway…. He did a lazy sway….” (Hughes ll. 4-5). These lines express sorrow and a lack of energy. Hughes uses words such as drowsy, syncopated, mellow, pale, dull, poor, moan, rickety, and raggy to help the reader identify sorrow and suffering.