Langston Hughes: The Challenges Of Adversity In American Life

“Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” This was said by the Roman poet, Horace, who was an esteemed poet during the reign of Augustus. In the quote Horace is explaining that if there is a constant struggle in a person’s life; this struggle has the ability to draw out certain “talents” or actions that an individual would not usually use on an everyday basis. The condition of adversity differs from place

In life, adversity can be a positive or negative, but by definition, adversity means hardship or struggle. Everyone has faced adversity at one point or another, good or bad. Through American history and still today, everyone has faced adversity. Certain groups of people have faced more adversity than others because they have been oppressed due to race and religion, among other things. Adversity breaks one down until they can be broken no more, and although adversity has a negative connotation, overcoming adversity can make one stronger, turning it into a positive.

As the Roman poet Horace once said, "adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant." In other words, he believed that challenges are beneficial because they bring out talents that would have stayed hidden otherwise. He thought that adversity would force a person to use their unknown talents out of desperation. Some argue that his theory is irrelevant and that a person 's skills will develop just as well without adversity if they have the capacity, but I believe that hardships will evoke and improve on their dormant talents.

The Roman poet, Horace once said, “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant”. Horace argues that difficult circumstances critically impact the development of one’s character. Although some may argue that character will reveal itself regardless if adversity is present, I agree with Horace’s perspective, adversity determines one's potential capabilities, strengthens personal values, and provides a feeling of self-worth. Sure, there are cases in which prosperous circumstances lead to internal development.

The roman poet Horace once wrote “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.” I believe that Horace’s quote about adversity eliciting talents, is correct. While there may be some outliers to this assumption, I assume that there would not be many. I think Horace makes a fairly good point, in that talents only really shine when faced with a challeng. Horace’s quote is backed up by the fact that the poet Horace was famous in ancient rome.

The German philosopher Nietzsche once said, “That which does not kill us, make us stronger”, and in many instances this is exactly the case. In most every instance of tragedy or hardship, the people affected must either yield to or rise above their situation, and in rising above, develop or display extraordinary and exemplary traits uniquely fitted to dealing with that situation. As a result, without adversity, these talents would be left unused. There are instances in which people crack under the pressure or sink to the expectations of their situation, but, depending on the character of the person involved, they may take the situation and use it to better themselves. It is a unique opportunity to utilize or develop traits that often remain

Hardship is an endeavor no person yearns for, and logically it’s fathomable why we’d steer away from difficulties. However, one can only value what they have when they’ve survived the unimaginable, because without hardships we’d be oblivious to the triumphs in life. History is an abyss of unfortunate events, nevertheless we have conquered every setback. The civil war, for example, was one of the United States most traumatic times. Much can be said about the bloodiest four years in american history, but overall in order to find harmony between the divided sides, we had to fight battle by battle for a cause that, with all the gruesome sacrifices no longer seemed worth it.

Overcoming advers requires being brave and noble. Also, being able to look on the positive side in life in tough situations. Overcoming illnesses, disabilities, or disfunctional families can be very hard to deal with. Sometimes you just need to keep going and not look back and by doing so a lot more opportunities may appear in life. Christy Brown in My Left Foot, Bethany Hamilton, and Jeanette Walls in The Glass Castle are all examples of people who had to deal with great hardships in order to push them to become the successful and mature people that they are today.

Barriers throughout someone’s lifetime could shatter them, or help them to build and become a better person. Either way, it is a decision one makes on their own. Some people’s hardships are worse than others, but that does not mean it was not tough for them to handle. Conflicts could even help shape the person going through a tough time. Simone Biles was determined to become stronger from her challenges, mentally and physically.

“What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” - Friedrich Nietzsche. Is that true? Does adversity really change people for the better? Going through tough situations can give individuals a new kind of strength, emotional strength, which lends them a chance to grow and mature.

Coming into contact with challenges and struggles can seem awful and unwanted at first. But as we get around those struggles and challenges we can look back and be grateful we went through them. Sometimes we can face something so scary it feels as though we will never get through that stage but when we do that person will be so much stronger because they had to go face to face with what scared them. Challenges are bumps in an individual 's road to success, some may appear bigger than others but perseverance can and will help a person to get over those bumps. The more challenges someone gets past helps them get closer to their goals in life.

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.

What is the American Dream? Many people have tried to explain the dream, or how they feel about the dream. Most try to be all patriotic and country loving like Walt Whitman... But others like Langston Hughes reveal a darker side of the dream.

The Impact of the Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic and cultural movement during the 1920s and the 1930s. It was sparked by a migration of nearly one million African-Americans who moved to the prospering north to escape the heavy racism in the south and to partake in a better future with better tolerance. Magazines and newspapers owned by African-Americans flourished, poets and music artists rose to their feet. An inspiration swept the people up and gave them confidence.

We can define the word salvation as deliverance from sin and its consequences, believed by Christians to be brought about by faith in Christ. One can be saved by accepting Jesus Christ into your life, but this wasn’t the case for Langston Hughes when he wrote “Salvation”. Having portrayed himself as a young teenage boy when this piece was written and using the first person perspective, the pressure he felt wanting to actually see and feel Jesus is the main reason why he ruined it for himself, and he was not “saved”. The first two lines even say “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen. But not really saved.” (Hughes, 299). Adults gain a spiritual experience as they become older, but with that experience, they also lose a sense of wonder and innocence that a child still has.