Let America Be America Be America Again: Poem Analysis
Poems can be seen as an expression of the soul and mind, and even though, poems are not everyone’s favorite literary subject, when an individual’s find that special poem it can move their soul one with the poet. There are many poets in the world, but the one that draws my attention the most was no other than Langston Hughes. It would be impossible to cover all the poems he has written, but the one that seemed so relevant with society today would be “Let America Be America Again.” The eye-opening poem was published in the 1938 pamphlet by Hughes entitled A New Song. In Langston Hughes poem “Let America Be America Again” Hughes reflects his theme of protest and hope through the use of personification, symbolism, and various tones.
Hughes begins
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Hughes begins the poem with a testament of what the American dream was to the pioneers trying to achieve a new successful life in this country, but Hughes quickly adds that "America never was America to me." (Line 5) Hughes tone in this line is very personal to him and his family and sad, the wanting of something he has never had. Hughes feels that he, and other minorities are not considered a part of America, and that they have been denied the rights of other Americans. Hughes tone becomes desperate as he hopes to be included in the "dream the dreamers dreamed” (Line 6). Hughes doesn't want the false hope of a country that pretends to be equal for all, rather he wants opportunity that is "real, and life is free." (Line 13) The lines "There's never been equality for me, not freedom in this 'homeland of the free” (Line 15-16) truly shows the level of being disconnected from the American dream along with other African-Americans, poor whites, Native Americans, and the immigrants who have not been allowed to strive in American society. In these lines, Hughes hopes that the reader receives his message that it is not just African- Americans who desire to be accepted, but all minorities who dream about being treated like Americans. In his article “Langston Hughes's counterpublic discourse”, Jeff Westover states " Langston Hughes adopts an oratorical voice in order to …show more content…
In this poem, Hughes contrasts his hopes for America with the reality of life for those outside of the socially popular and economically dominant racial, religious, and social groups. Hughes evokes on the dreams of those who came to the America seeking a haven where they could would be safe from the persecution happening in their homelands - but those dreams of America have never come true. Hughes executes his theme of hope and protest through the use of personification, patriotic symbolism, and various tones throughout the
Summary Of Let America Be America Again By Langston Hughes
1227 Words | 5 Pages“I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek.” In the poem “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes, the reader here’s from two different speakers, and how they both seperately want America to change. One of the speakers wants America to go back to what it was before, while the other responds in small comments, building up to say the quote you read at the beginning. In the poem “Let America Be America Again” the author has two separate speakers with contradicting thoughts, the author relates to problems that were happening in the real world, and how the author’s rhyme scheme is a vital component to how this poem reads.
Let Usa Be America Again Literary Devices
671 Words | 3 PagesThis structure and tone change can give the reader a better picture of how Hughes felt about the inequality in America. He started out the poem with a more positive and hopeful tone from the speaker, but later changes it to a more resentful tone. The speaker is resentful and angry because of the unnoticed need for change in
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621 Words | 3 Pages(Hughes 13). This shows how he believes that he will be included. The idea of believing in a dream is also expressed in “America and I.” This story is about an immigrant coming to America who has has a rough time starting her new life. “And I could not tear it out of me, the feeling that America must be somewhere, somehow…”
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547 Words | 3 PagesLangston Hughes wrote Let America be America Again explaining that he was never an equal or free in America. He also didn’t just focus on blacks, he also wrote “I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek.” (Hughes 8). Hughes explained that nobody in America is treated right unless a wealthy white man.
Let America Be America Again Essay
827 Words | 4 PagesOne of his poems that has been a great figure of the twentieth century literature is "Let America Be America Again". In this poem, Hughes argues that America has never been the way it was set to be founded as, the history behind
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399 Words | 2 PagesThe tone of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too, Sing America” is determined and talks about how “tomorrow” he will do what he pleases instead of doing what his master
Let Canada Be America Again Literary Devices
572 Words | 3 PagesIn “Let America Be America Again” Langston Hughes uses an abundant amount of imagery, tone and has a specific style of writing to show how America never was the “America” people thought it was. Hughes uses a lot of imagery when he explains jobs of certain people, “I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil. I am the worker sold to the machine. I am the negro, servant to you all…”.
Langston Hughes Impact On Society
469 Words | 2 PagesLangston Hughes was a very famous poet but also a dreamer during the 1920s when discrimination and racism were main problems in the society. He was a civil right activist who proposed the idea of equal opportunities between all races by writing poems, books, and playwrights; many of his famous literatures affected Americans in many crucial ways. Hughes’s main idea against the society was equality however he discovered that it is difficult to change people’s “norms” and stereotypes. Therefore, his humorous and serious type of writing effectively appealed to many audiences which eventually played a big role of achieving racial equality and equal opportunities.
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785 Words | 4 PagesIn “I hear America singing” by Langston Hughes we see the American dream depicted as the American Dream for Blacks in a time of segregation and
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858 Words | 4 PagesIn 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. Frist, Hughes utilizes the shift of tones to indicate the thrive of African American power. In the first stanza, the speaker shows the sense of nation pride through the use of patriotic tone. The first line of the poem, “I, too, sing America” states the speaker’s state of mind.
How Did Langston Hughes Influence The American Dream
922 Words | 4 PagesAmerica is well known as the land of the free and the home opportunity. Although it is said everyone is equal in every way, that has not always been the case. Langston Hughes is a poet who tried to emphasize the idea of equality among all human beings. Hughes underlined the basis of the American Dream with what is and what should be in the societal era he lived in. In hindsight he believed his poems helped others realize the injustices that all minorities had to face during this era.
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1409 Words | 6 PagesLangston 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.
Three Major Themes In Langston Hughes's Poetry
1089 Words | 5 PagesThe 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.
I Too Sing America Analysis
997 Words | 4 PagesThe 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. Many black people fought in the war and after it ended, they still did not have equality, which caused questions of why they were not equal if they fought against another country.
A Dream Deferred By Langston Hughes Analysis
417 Words | 2 PagesWhat would happen if the dreams you most desired were at risk of never coming true? In the poem, "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, he uses figurative language to convey the importance of what happens when a dream is deferred for too long due to oppression. Not only does Hughes uses similes to help the reader understand the author 's point of view, but also metaphors and imagery. "A Dream Deferred" was written in a time where oppression was not only harmful but also a painful way of life for Hughes and hundreds of other Americans. In this poem, he uses imagery to convey just how desperate those Americans felt at that time with what was happening in the world, and what would continue to happen if nothing was fixed.
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