Langston Hughes Poetry Analysis

The Harlem Renaissance was of the embracing of literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts it was set apart for whites. Many of Hughes writings were derived from the African American culture and the struggles of their society. The infusion of jazz into his writings created a positive stain in the community. One of Hughes biggest writings was of “The Weary Blue,” which was one of the original Jazz infused poetry. Many of Hughs writings envolved societal culture issues.

Compare and contrast In reading the brief essays Stranger in the village and Learning to read by Fredrick Douglass and James Baldwin, I found myself not interested in reading because of the large vocabulary that I did not recognize. Nevertheless, I read them over again along with listening to them, which helped me to understand the vocabulary better. They both spoke about the negatives they faced being black. Still, they had different stories to tell.

After the Civil War, African Americans went from bondage into gaining liberty. Twentieth President James A. Garfield stated, “The elevation of the Negro race from slavery to the full rights of citizenship is the most important political change we have known since the adoption of the constitution.” However, the centuries of racism, prejudice, and devaluation took its toll on Southern society, and they would take another century before all Blacks could vote unhindered. The ratification of civil rights legislation created only a beginning of a change because the Emancipation Proclamation failed to free all slaves, Whites did not view Blacks as social equals, and most Southern Whites would not cooperate with the new laws. The Emancipation

There are not that many descendants of African slaves, or slave owners. Majority of the American population came to America long after slavery was abolished. America has a national debt of $16.4 trillion, the USA citizens have enough to worry in America. Slavery has been a huge misunderstanding, and is used as a tool for hustlers and demagogues. In the article “Walter Williams: Did blacks benefit from slavery?”

In Kindred, Octavia E. Butler talks about a young African American aspiring writer that goes on a dangerous journey to Maryland in the eighteen hundreds. The eighteen hundreds was a time where slavery was a common thing in America. Dana, the main character, has a connection with a young white boy from the eighteen hundreds, named Rufus. As the story unfolds, we learn that Rufus would bring Dana back in time when he was in danger. Unfortunately, Dana’s experience in the eighteen hundreds was far from an adventure.

His ideas brought new hope to African Americans and his work inspired people all over the world. A little-known fact about Locke was that he was gay and never felt to be public about his private life. He wanted to bring awareness and truth to his culture but never felt free to truly be

However, he was a slave owner at the same time. Throughout his life time, he owned hundreds of African American slaves. Even after the death of his wife, Jefferson had a long-term relationship with one of his slave’s, Sally Hemings. On the other hand, as a young politician, he argued for the prohibition of slavery in new American territories, but yet he never freed his own slaves. How could a man responsible for writing the sacred words, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" have been a slave owner?

In the late 1800's slavery was divided and different between the northern and southern states. Roughly 200,000 African Americans were free in America some of which born free and others who bought their freedom. All whom could share stories of cruelty instilled upon them while serving a master. Many stripped from their family as they grew up having to survive on their own. Beaten for whatever reason just to enforce upon them who was in charge and what would not be tolerated, and at times beaten for no reason at all as this was slavery.

Langston Hughes was known for being one of the most favored, if not the most favored, African-American poet and short story writers of the twentieth century. He was commemorated for being a people’s poet, “his life’s work was about bringing people together socially, politically, and artistically” (Shawn Alexander, 42). Hughes was influential for writing about the everyday struggles, racial injustices, and dreams of the African-American men and women during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920’s. This period in history was a time of vast changes and explorations for African-Americans.

The profound effects of Progressivism had done little for African Americans, with very few that managed to gain a foothold by services and products to the black community. Especially in the South, where racism was much more prominent, and where many more white Americans possessed the ideology that blacks were inferior to whites. W.E.B. Du Bois was the very first African American to receive a PhD, and he published several books and essays, describing in great detail the numerous hurdles they were presented with. In his own journal, The Crisis, he displays an example after World War I, explaining the lack of recognition African Americans received for fighting “gladly and to the last drop of blood; for America and her highest ideals” (Document I). African Americans were kept extremely busy with “lynching, disenfranchisement, caste, brutality, and devilish insult” (Document I), fighting to protect and secure the rights they had already worked so hard to achieve.

Frederick Douglass was completely correct with the way he delivered his speech. He began his speech by questioning why he was chosen to give this speech. He mentions that he for one, is of a different color than the ones who were truly celebrating this occasion, “I am not included within the pale of this glorious anniversary” (Douglass). For him and his people this is not a day of celebration but a day of mourning.

Here Hughes says that once African Americans are perceived as equivalent, everybody will see they are not terrible and that they are excellent and some portion of America. Langston Hughes is a gifted artist who utilizes similitude and his own particular style of writing to build the adequacy of his general message. His use of "I" emphasizes that he too is an American and won 't be let around society nor will other African Americans. "I, Too" delineates the perspective of African Americans in the past and their quality to push ahead. In Conclusion,  The two poems are relevant to the African American society.

In the autobiography Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass written Frederick Douglass in 1845, the main character, Frederick Douglass is an escaped black slave portraying his life, his story and aspects of who he was and what he has gone through. Frederick Douglass was a slave who ran away from his owner in search for freedom and liberty during the slave era in the United States. Frederick Douglass was born in Maryland in 1818, and into slavery. Frederick Douglass was an odd person in this time period and in this book, as most slaves were kept on their job sites and had little to no chance of escaping during this time. Frederick Douglass defies the odds and became a free black man, and escapes north to become an influence to others.

There has never been a leader of our people who went all-out to set up an economic plan for our people.” Elijah Muhammad, Message to the Black Man. I believe the state of wellness for blacks in America is disparaging is for two reasons. The first reason is African slaves were brought her to work and help build America. The purpose of slavery was free labor that would allow southern plantations to make profit.

Langston Hughes was a man of many talents who was most famous for his head role in the Harlem Renaissance. While talented in many different genres, he was most known for his poetry and his contribution to the style of jazz poetry. While Hughes was not physically present for many demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement, his poetry and political writing served as an inspiration to people in the United States and around the world. James Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Missouri. His father, a Black American, unhappy with the way Blacks were treated in America at the time, left the country for Cuba that same year.