Claude Mckay's Poem In The Harlem Dancer, And I, Too

In the poem “I, Too”, the author Langston Hughes illustrates the key aspect of racial discrimination faces against the African Americans to further appeals the people to challenge white supremacy. He conveys the idea that black Americans are as important in the society.

In the two poems, “I Hear America Singing,” and, “I, Too,” there are many similarities and differences that show us that know matter what is happening you have to stand up for yourself and do what you love. We see this in the two poems, “I Hear America Singing,” and, “I, Too” when the authors, Walt Whitman and Langston Hughes, both talk about what America was a like in the 1900s, and how people were doing jobs that they had liked to do. We can see how a African American man would stand up for himself and we see this in the poem “I, Too” because we are able to see how he was able to stand up to everyone else and prove he was able to be treated like anyone else.

shaping the artistic contributions of the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Unlike other notable black poets of the period, Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering, love of music, laughter, and language itself (Ham). Along with literary works, the music of the Harlem Renaissance appealed to a wide audience and marked a proliferation of African-American cultural influence.

Bringing intellectual stimulation through his invigorating works, Claude McKay was recognized to be one of the most inspirational figures during the Harlem Renaissance. McKay served to be a model for blacks, especially those who suffered the tortures of slavery in America. Poems, short-written books as well as novels were representatives of his art. From the application of skill and a bit of imagination the writings he expressed revealed real events that spurred the movement of reviving black cultural identity.

The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history, which occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York. The cultural movement was an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their heritage through intellectual and artistic works. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance. One notable piece of literature by Hughes is “Dream Deferred”. However, the discussion of African American culture isn’t limited to the 1920s. Paul Laurence Dunbar showed the potential struggles of being African American in his poem “We Wear the Mask”, written fifty-five years prior to “Dream Deferred”. Both poems share similar tones and themes. “Dream Deferred” by Langston Hughes can serve as a sequel to “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar through displaying a cause and effect relationship which highlights the strength of neglect and disguises.

The Harlem Renaissance was a cultural awakening, the reborn and rise of the intellectuals and great artists that were people of color. Such artists includes Langston Hughes, Claude McKay and Zora Neale Hurston. These young writers were able to express their feelings that they have felt while living in America at the time. The most popular writer of the movement was Langston Hughes. He wrote with the rhythmic meter of blues and jazz. He was able to show his honesty through his work on how life as a black man was a hard journey but yet, was able to convey it in such a way to result in art through words. One work that he had created that expressed his feeling was titled, Theme for English B. He was to write

“The Harlem Renaissance” was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the 1920s and 1930s, around the end of World War I. This movement took place in Harlem, New York a predominantly African American community. The Harlem Renaissance was associated with the origin of African American culture drawing writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars to Harlem.

One of the most important literary figure was Langston Hughes. When the “Harlem Renaissance” became popular, Langston Hughes’ influences, style of writing, and themes made him different than the others.

“Democracy” by Langston Hughes was written during the Harlem Renaissance and left a great impact on it. It helped people stay true to their traditions and made people want to fight for their equality.

The Harlem Renaissance is a movement that began in the 1920’s. It was a product of centuries of African American oppression. Therefore, during the Great migration occurred where thousands of African Americans migrated from the southern states to the north and created a culture of their own, which included but not limited to poetry, music, and art.

Helen Johnson’s “Sonnet to a Negro in Harlem” (1927) and Claude McKay’s “The Harlem Dancer” (1917) differ in structure and their descriptions of their characters in relation to society. Though both are fourteen lines long, McKay uses more imagery and diction when describing the character in the poem. The style of this poem creates a romantic vibe in an organized way. Imagery makes the mood seem dreamlike which brings this piece to life. McKay describes the character “…proudly swaying palm” (1004) as an indication of his sight which can implied that he is drinking. The use of diction helps to describe the scene. He compares time to “...a picnic day” (1004) which describes the environment to be very bright as

Poems can be analyzed in various ways ranging from their complexity to the emotions they convey to readers. The poems, “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes and “The Harlem Dancer” by Claude McKay will be analyzed based on their similarities and differences to name a few. The poems may describe different events; however the overall connection between the two can be identified by readers with deeper reading. Comparisons between the poems may easier to analyze and identify compared to the contrasts based on the reader’s perception. Overall, the concept and much more will reveal how the poems are connected and special in their own way.

Langston Hughes poems “Harlem” and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” are two poems that have a deeper meaning than a reader may notice. Hughes 's poem “Harlem” incorporates the use of similes to make a reader focus on the point Hughes is trying to make. In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” Hughes shows how close he was to the rivers on a personal level. With those two main focuses highlighted throughout each poem, it creates an intriguing idea for a reader to comprehend. In these particular poems, Hughes’s use of an allusion, imagery, and symbolism in each poem paints a clear picture of what Hughes wants a reader to realize.

The poem I, Too, Sing America written by Langston Hughes shortly after World War II in 1945, is a lyrical poem about the neglected voices in America as a response to the Poem “I hear America singing.” During this time, African Americans were oppressed in society and they did not have equal rights to Caucasians. This poem expresses Langston Hughes hope for the future where black people are not oppressed when equality is achieved between races. This poem helps assert Langston Hughes’ ideas of racial pride, hope, and equality.

Langston Hughes was an American poem born in the early nineteen hundreds, who became known as the leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He published many poems that brought light to the life of people of color in the twentieth century. There are three poems that the speakers are used to portray three major themes of each poem. Racism, the American Dream, and Hopes are all the major themes that Hughes uses to highlight the average life of a person of color. Theme for English B,” “Harlem,” and “Let America Be America Again” were three of Hughes’s poems that was selected to underline the themes. Meanwhile, the readers can learn something for each of the poems and apply it to their life. They can also noticed how Langston Hughes’s poems often contains hope and noted the possibility that both white and black people can live together in peace and harmony. And the poems also represent the average person of colors’ life and their struggles and frustrations towards the white community throughout the twentieth century.