Daybreak in Alabama

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Analysis of “Daybreak in Alabama” In choosing an African American poet for analysis, I had some difficulties. However, the packet helped greatly. Here, we analyzed selected poems of Claude McKay. Of all the poems, I liked “Daybreak in Alabama” by Langston Hughes. I chose Langston Hughes’ poem, “Daybreak in Alabama” because of the meaning and connections brought up throughout the poem, the purpose and support behind each line, and because the way Langston Hughes’ emotions effect the poem. Analysis begins with style. First, concerning vocabulary, it is slang. On LL2-3 it reads, “I’m gonna write me some music about Daybreak in Alabama”. The slang used here is to emphasize the meaning of what Langston Hughes is trying to express to the reader. Also, another example of vocabulary appears on L15 stating, “And I’m gonna put white hands”. In this sentence Langston Hughes wants to express how the world should make up and stop all of the controversies in the world. From beginning to end, Langston Hughes used many figures of speech throughout the poem. For example, on L5, “Rising out of the ground like a swamp mist”. This simile is explaining that people are finally coming out of ones shell to try and halt the fighting throughout the country. Another example happens on L6, “And falling out of heaven like soft dew”. Langston Hughes is trying to show that one can get back up from a fall or a letdown. The way Langston Hughes wrote the poem “Daybreak in Alabama” has an extremely serious and heartfelt mood. On LL13-14 an example of the mood is shown, “And the field daisy eyes;
Of black and white black white black people”. Langston Hughes is very serious about blacks and whites trying to become friendly with one another. In these specific lines, the mood begins to change from calm and understanding to serious and almost scary. “Daybreak in Alabama” compares heaven to hell. An
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