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Langston Hughes Let America Be America Again

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Analyses - Let America Be America Again Langston Hughes uses a varied meter in “Let America Be America Again”. In the first line and title of his poem he starts with the first syllable [let] stressed, followed by a unstressed syllable [a]. This trochaic dimeter is used just for the first four syllables, following a iambic tetrameter starting with [ca] unstressed and [be] stressed. The second line starts with a trochee, but this time with eight syllables, therefore a tetrameter. The last syllable in this line stands on its own and is stressed. Hughes follows the form of his first two lines and continues using stressed – unstressed syllables, a trochee. The eight syllables are followed by a iamb [the plain]. The fourth line starts with a trochee …show more content…

Line one [again] rhymes with line three [plain], and line two [be] with line four [free]. This scheme continues for the second and third stanza. Furthermore an internal rhyme is used in line one of the first [be-dream-be] and second stanza [dream-dreamers-dreamed]. According to Meyers a rhyme is the identity of the last stressed vowel and its subsequent letters in two or more words, in its diverse forms and variations, such as internal rhyme or alliteration (Michael Meyer, p50). To create internal rhyming, assonances are used in line 8 [where – never], line 16 [across – stars], line 40 [still – kings] and many more throughout the poem. Several alliterations are used in “Let America Be America Again”. In the forth line of the first stanza he uses [home,he,himself], followed by [dream,dreamers,dreamed] in the first line of the second stanza. Furthermore alliterations are used in line 7 [land, love] and line 72 [live, like, …show more content…

Several times different words are used as a metaphor for America, such as [dream] and [pioneer]. Furthermore [steel of freedom] in line 71 can be understood as the american pride. In line 34 [machine] is used as a metaphor. The machine stands as a methapor for the american system. The metaphor has been difened as 1) a shortened or implicit comparison, which substitutes one concept for another, or 2) as an interaction between two concepts, which transfers meanings. According to the first understanding, the metaphor presupposes a ground of similarity between the tenor and the image or vehicle. Accoirdung to the second definition, the metphor does more because it asks us to see x as y, to regard some in a new light (Bode 94). A metaphor appears in many forms; it combines two nouns, a noun and a verb, a qualifier and a noun, or it takes the shape of a statement. (Michael Meyer,

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"I Hear America Singing" focuses on the glories of America, showcasing the happiness and joy that is present on a daily basis. This is clearly evidenced in one of the lines from Whitman's poem: "Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs." However, "I, Too, Sing America highlights the darker side of American life during this era. Unlike Whitman, Hughes' poem takes a much more serious tone, that forces the reader to consider the other side of the coin. This is poignately illustrated in the line, "And be ashamed -" which points to the "they" that will be ashamed in the future for how "they" treated the African American

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A central theme in the short story “Thank you Ma 'am” by Langston Hughes is a little kindness goes a long way. One act of kindness can change a person’s life forever. Her unnecessary kindness made a major impact on Roger and changes him. As the story progresses, we see that Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones shows empathy and kindness for Roger. That kindness appears to pass onto Roger near the end of the story.

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The second speaker also reshapes the first two lines of the entire poem into a plea to the majority. Beforehand, the first speaker uses those lines as a call for the old American spirit to be revived: “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Both speakers change the meaning of the lines to express their thoughts on America. As a result, the poem expresses the desire for everyone to be treated equally in the land of freedom. The readers can relate to the speaker because they wish that everyone has equal rights in the country that proclaims itself to be the symbol of freedom.

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They also represent what kind of contemporary entertainment he enjoys. He also uses quite a few enjambments to drive the poem forward. The enjambments bring the lines together, even though there is a line break the idea of the line continues on. A example of one of Hughes’s enjambments is “ I guess you learn from me--/ although you’re older”(Hughes 38-39).

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