African American Poems The Poetry Of Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes was one of the African Americans, who embraced and uplift his own culture during the Harlem Renaissance (New Negro Movement). As an African American female, Hughes is my favorite poet because his poems talk about what was happening then. They were issues that needed to be addressed and not hidden. I decided to visualize myself as Langston Hughes, and asked if I was him, what reason would I have to write these poems? What am I trying to tell my audience? The reason is simple. My answer is, â€Å"I am American too. I am not just someone you can treat poorly just because you do not like my skin. I have a dream and in due time, it will come true.† Hughes poems all had an implied dream on acceptance, equality, and had encouragement†¦show more content†¦Even though it is being ignored, it is still in the minds of African Americans. Langston ask, â€Å"Does it dry up/ like a raisin in the sun (Hughes 2-3)?† it is a simile referring to the dream being e xciting when new like a grape but later becomes frustrating and overdue like a raisin. In this last stanza: Maybe it just sags Like a heavy load. Or does it explode? (Hughes 9-11) he is stating that the dream stays on the mind of African-Americans like a heavy load, and will explode into a social conflict in America, which created the Civil Rights Movement. The poem â€Å"Theme for English B† reflects on Hughes being the only black student in his class. The instructor gave the students an assignment to write a paper about themselves. He states, â€Å"Well I like to eat sleep, drink, and be in love. / I like to work, read, learn, and understand life,† (Hughes 21-22). These are simple things right. Things that everyone likes to do. He was making a point that just because he is black, his likes and dislikes are the same as any other race, which he states, â€Å"I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like/ the same things other folks like who are other races,† (Hughes 25-26). This poem reflects more on Identity. He is calling out the things that makes them similar, yet they are categories as somethin g different. But why is that? What makes them different other than theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Langston Hughes a Harlem Renaissance Man1463 Words   |  6 Pages The beginning of the 20th century many African Americans migrated from the south to the north in what we call today, the Great Migration. Many African Americans found themselves in a district of New York City called Harlem. 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