Select one of the poems and explain why the poet is effective in presenting his message. Consider such elements: rhythm, rhyme, diction, imagery, and purpose. In this Petrarchan sonnet, Dunbar makes clear his message and expression of the pain of racial injustices after the Civil War. Douglass, as depicted as a great leader, is called upon for comfort through this problem that America faces. The purpose of this poem I feel is to represent the struggles the African Americans had to endure during their time being slaves while offering hope for the black community, letting the reader knows that one day someone will lead them out of this struggle and into their promise land.
I had to read this poem a couple of times to get an understanding in what he was actually saying. That is a strong reason why I was drawn to this poem due to its hidden meaning. I like a challenge and seek deeper understanding as I analyze an author’s work. Some of Langston poems can leave you with different ambiguity in his writings but on the other hand it will make you think and process your feelings. In this poem the beat that the author is talking about is not a happy beat as the author is using a metaphor of what people were feelings about the situation they are in at that time.
Marvi Shaikh Ms. Devitt ENG3UI Thursday, July 2nd, 2015 Poet’s View On “Oppression” Oppression means prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or control over someone or something. It’s also known as persecution, abuse, mental pressure or distress (www.dictionary.refrence.com). Oppression is a common topic for authors and poets to write about. The poet Jimmy Santiago Baca also used Oppression as his topic in his poem called “Oppression”. The poem talks about equality and justice from Baca’s point of view.
How can the voice of one individual represent or engulf the many hidden voices of a repressed people? Langston Hughes, a prominent figure in American literature captures at best, both the pride and plight of the African-American people at the turn of the twentieth century. He had written hundreds of literary pieces by the time of his death in May 1967; a few of those pieces were “The Big Sea” (1940), “I Wonder as I Wander” (1956), “The Weary Blues” (1926), and “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1921). One of his most famous poems, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” carries with it, embedded in its language and content, “personal anguish…alchemized by the poet, into a gracious meditation on his race…” (Arnold Rampersad, “The Origins of Poetry in Langston Hughes,” from The Southern Review 21, no.3 (July 1985). The significance of this poem to me is the surge of inspiration Langston Hughes grasps as he associates “The Rivers” with the bridge between past and present.
Harlem Renaissance Paper Langston Hughes is a well know black poet for many poems and short stories he has written. “I, too”, “The Negro speaks of Rivers”, “Harlem”, and “The Weary Blues” are just a few to name. Hughes was affiliated with the Harlem Renaissance movement. The Harlem Renaissance was collaborative of poems and short stories by African American writers. Its focus was about the experiences, desires, and communal needs of the Negros who migrated from the south to up north, where they hope for a change and a better life for their families.
In Passage 2, the sentence People all across America—black and white, young and old, listened to songs with lyrics that were intensely honest and personal, songs that told about any number of things that give us the blues: loneliness, betrayal, unrequited love, a run of bad luck, being out of work or away from home or broke or broken hearted (lines 43–47), the author is a. defining blues music. b. identifying the origin of the blues. c. describing the lyrics of a famous blues song. d. explaining why blues remakes were so popular. e. making a connection between the blues and the Civil Rights movement.
Harlem Renaissance Shyanna Fanning Humanities 112 Professor Pistone November 23, 2014 During the 1920’s, many African Americans migrated from the economically depressed South to the Industrial North to start a new life. With the large amount of migration occurring, African Americans now had the freedom to express their culture through art, music, poetry and literature. This movement is now known as the Harlem Renaissance. Two influential poets during the Harlem Renaissance were Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. These two African American poets helped inspire other African America individuals to express their culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
I personally think the reason I have come to not like poetry is because in class we pick apart everything the poem brings to the table, and might even take it too far. I used to just like reading poems and maybe think about how it made me feel or some of the words it uses. However, now I just feel like we spend too much time looking at every possible meaning. I feel like it’s more of an opinion on what a poem means and it’s personal for everyone. A poem might mean one thing to one person, but something entirely different to another person.
Throughout history, literature has been a form of art used by people to express themselves. Whether it’s to convey a message or pass on a point of view, scholars and common folk alike have used poetry as an outlet to communicate to the rest of the world. Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem" is a representation of what happens to dreams when they are put on hold. The poems title, use of visual image to compare a dream deferred to a series of similes, and a metaphor in the last line all successfully exemplify the poem when analyzed closely. The title “Harlem” of Langston Hughes poem is a successful element to the piece of poetry because it reveals the importance and truth of the poem in the simplest way.
Arna Bontemps was an inspirational poet in Harlem who expressed his ideas through poetry. He helped African Americans earn equality through “A Black Man Talks of Reaping” to a great extent. The literary voice during the Great Migration influenced the explosion of life and culture in Harlem. The Great Migration is the relocation of six million African Americans from the south cities across the Northeast, Midwest and West. The Southern economy was one of the causes of the migration.