Paper 1 DRAFT Jennifer Gustafson 7/16/14 Langston Hughes was an American social activist‚ novelist‚ playwright‚ columnist and is recognized as one of the most significant poets of his time. Hughes was the first truly successful African American poet and his writing was extremely influential for the African American community during the Harlem Renaissance. He felt a commitment to speak out against black oppression and recognized that‚ at that time‚ the United States was a place to be deeply
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American Dream The American dream is the idea held by many in the United States of America that through hard work‚ courage and determination one can achieve prosperity. These were values held by early settlers‚ and have been passed on to following generations. What the American dream has become is a question under constant discussion. What is the American dream? Many authors‚ poets and photographers have tried their hand at depicting their idea or the concept of the American dream. Langston Hughes
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Langston Hughes: Comparison and Contrasting Essay Both poems use first-person voices‚ however the "I" is different for each poem‚ in order to fulfill Hughes’ purpose for the poem. In Hughes’ poem "I‚ Too‚" the speaker is not an individual as the word "I" implies. In fact‚ the "I" represents all African-Americans living in the United States. The fact that Hughes writes "I am the darker brother" instead of "we are the darker brothers" is no coincidence. The implication of the word "I" as opposed
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Langston Hughes is known as a significant poet of the Harlem Renaissance- “an African American artistic movement in the 1920s that celebrated black life and culture”. Hughes connects with the audience through his sophistication towards life’s matters in which issues revolving around the African American community are frequently addressed. In his poem “Life is fine”‚ Hughes particularly brings out the significance of life which is often reinforced by the obstacles that people encounter in their living
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many of Langston Hughes poems speak to the real lives of backs in the South during the time of slavery and racial prejudice. The Harlem Renaissance was a time of cultural‚ social‚ and artistic explosion taking place during the end of World War 1 and lasting through the mid 1930s. This is where many artists like Langston Hughes‚ Arna Bontemps and Clauda McKay bloomed in “a literary movement that involved racial pride‚ demanding civil and political rights.” (Wormser). In Langston Hughes “Cross‚” religious
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irony used in Langston Hughes’ first person narrative “Salvation” is verbal and situational irony. Verbal irony is the use of words to mean something different from what a person actually says. Situational irony occurs when the exact opposite of what is meant to happen‚ happens. Theses two types irony are introduced by Hughes’ Auntie Reed who begins to take Hughes to church for several weeks‚ and then talks about taking Hughes to the children revival. This sets up the beginning of Hughes traumatic experience
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discovered a significant truth about faith and religion. At the age of twelve‚ young Hughes attended his auntie Reed’s church for a huge revival. He heard songs of praise and amen’s‚ saw many tears‚ and watched as many sinners were brought to christ‚ making a heavily religious environment. All the children who had not yet been brought to Jesus sat in the front row so the rest of the church could pray for them. Hughes and another little boy‚ Westley were left as all the other children jumped and went
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The poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes is written in the voice of a mother giving advice to her son. In it‚ she compares her life to a rough and hard-to-navigate stairway that his not been “no crystal stair‚” but she encourages him to keep going anyway (2‚ 20). Hughes gives her a very down-to-earth vocabulary to reinforce that she has had to work her way through life without the benefits of higher education‚ ease of profession‚ or even much help. Phrases like “Well‚ son‚ I’ll tell you‚” and
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In the poem “Cross”‚ by Langston Hughes have many different denotations in the title. Denotation is a dictionary meaning of a word. Connotation is a feeling that a word invokes to its literal or primary meaning. There are also many examples of connotation in the poem that Hughes uses. What different denotations does the title have? What connotations are linked to each of them? The title “Cross”‚ has many different denotations including a symbol of a religious belief‚ pass by‚ or an object. The
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Langston Hughes: “Jazzonia” Oh‚ silver tree! Oh‚ shining rivers of the soul! In a Harlem cabaret Six long-headed jazzers play. A dancing girl whose eyes are bold Lifts high a dress of silken gold. Oh‚ singing tree! Oh‚ shining rivers of the soul! Were Eve’s eyes In the first garden Just a bit too bold? Was Cleopatra gorgeous In a gown of gold? Oh‚ shining tree! Oh‚ silver rivers of the soul! In a whirling cabaret Six long-headed jazzers play. Langston Hughes wrote “Jazzonia” in the 1920s
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