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As I Grew Older

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As I Grew Older
As I Grow Older- Langston Hughes
Post Reading- (2)

Running through the dusky meadows
Chasing the glowing sun
Poundings on the moisty flora
Poundings of the heart

And then the sun goes down
Down into the grays and blues
Off the sound

The sea is there
Facing and twisting the sand
A new voice is heard
Swirling in the air

Strong and quaint
Vivid like diamonds under light
I take my run into the ocean
Take on my golden flight

Reflection-

1. I have enjoyed reading As I Grow Older. I like the way Hughes uses an un-materialistic timeline to his “Dream” journey. The poem makes you read it with an intensity of emotions, by Hughes’s use of repetitive words, punctuation marks and exclamation points.
Furthermore, the poem is relatable by dealing the subject of changing perspective of the growing human being- innocence, then knowledge of the wrongness, and in the end- acceptance and resolution.
2. I found the poem encouraging because after all the “walls” that stood in Hughes way, and the desperation he had, Hughes did not give up to his suppressors and fought his way to be free, in his own way- by poetry.
“My dark hands!
Break through the wall!”
3. The skill of Distinguishing Different Perspectives added to my understanding of the poem by understanding the poet writing about his dream from the perspective of a child and how it changed as he grew older. His optimistic childlike perspective changed as he experienced prejudice and racism, and then

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