The short story Volar by Judith Ortiz Cofer, and the poem Harlem by Langston Hughes share a common theme which is the elusive American dream, thus, compared to a pot of gold for migrants. There are several ideas that pertain to elusive American dream of both the short story and the poem. First, in Volar, a family migrated from Puerto Rico to New Jersey to seek opportunities and better life conditions. Similarly, in Harlem, it speaks about African-Americans who migrated from the South to the North for better working conditions. Secondly, in Volar, the reality of how hard to attain the American dream is evident as the story described the living conditions in their tiny apartment. In a like manner, the poem Harlem expresses the devastation in the truth that American dream of African-Americans is unattainable. Lastly, both the short story and the poem have a message of hardship contrary to their expectations once settled in the place of what they thought to be the end of the rainbow. Furthermore, some similarities and differences of figurative languages are used in both the short story and the poem. For the similarities, in Volar, the author used similes, allusion and repetition of significant words which reinforce the theme. The similes are “Supergirl comic books in my bedroom closet that was tall as I am”, and “sleek and hard as a supersonic missile” (Cofer 317). In addition, the allusions refer to Legion of Super Heroes and Supergirl comic books, the mention of Puerto
Langston Hughes’s “Let America Be America Again” is a poem that could be endlessly applied to where America stands today. This poem illustrates the morals, ideas, and visions set forth by those who found this country and how America has begun straying from those principles. The poem expresses that America is made up of all walks of people and that no man should be crushed by those above him, but rather be given the same opportunity as those above him. Hughes desire to make America great again can be shared in some way or another by most Americans making this poem everlasting. “Let America Be America Again” has the personalization, the language, the connection shared by every American, and the rhyme to allow readers of every race, gender, or religious belief to be brought together as not only people but as Americans.
The theme in “open letter to the South” by Langston Hughes is centered on racism and segregation. During the time the poem was written, everyone was separated by race and everyone focused on his or her own benefits. However, Hughes suggests that the working class (black and whites) were in the same situation and that they could accomplish great things if they worked together “In union lies our strength.” (Hughes 663) The author uses a lot of symbolism, for example when he says “let us became instead, you and I, one single hand” (Hughes 663) is referring to the union that hands together represent, they as workers needed to support each other to make things easier for them. As humans, we are selfish by nature and a lot of times we forget about
Has America ever been great, of the 239 years this influential country has been a country has it ever been truly great and free? As Langston Hughes exclaimed, "America never was America to me”. Learned Hand and Langston Hughes had differences on their thought on the topic of Liberty and whether America is great. Hughes and Hands opinion of Liberty has changed the way the common man reacts to racism and the way we perceive America's greatness.
Through Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America Be America Again” argues the idealized myth of the American dream through the promise of equality, the betrayal of the American dream, and the call for justice in America. In saying, “Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed” Hughes emphasizes the hardships of marginalized groups in America, who historically, were excluded from basic civil rights. Langston Hughes demands that America must continue working to create a more equitable society in hopes of living up to its promise of an egalitarian nation. Hughes describes the ideals of the American dream, “The ideal that every citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” He conveys
The short but inspirational poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes addresses what happens to aspirations that are postponed or lost. The brief, mind provoking questions posed throughout the poem allow the readers to reflect--on the effects of delaying our dreams. In addition, the questions give indications about Hughes' views on deferred dreams.
America has always been seen as this country that we were not equal. The following poems is the view of some of the poets who dealt with it firsts hand. “Make America, America Again” by Langston and “America” by Maya Angelou. Langston Hughes was born on February 1 1902 in Harlem, he is known for is magnificent skills as a poet, social activist, novelist, and play writing. His poems are so powerful. Maya Angelou was born on April 4,1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. She was known for being a poet, memoirist, and activist. As an activist she brought attention to the injustices of the times. They want the future generation to learn from the past.
For centuries, many people in the world come to the United States for looking for a dream, which they will have a better life. The “American Dream” is a standard phrase that people know what it is. And, the States give them a promise of freedom, and opportunities to get their dreams. Therefore, I think about the perspectives of a dream, and I ask myself: why do people work hard to get to a destination that they want? Before working hard, they have to have a real purpose, so they must have a dream.
In the poem “Oppression”, written by Langston Hughes, the author leads us to believe that in many countries there is the oppression of minorities, the fear of punishment for free thinking and yet the hope of freedom. Throughout the world people in many countries suffer from subjugation. “Now dreams are not available to the dreamers…” (Hughes) refers to the suppression of free thinking and aspirations in those lands. Not only does the author make this point about injustice, he uses the metaphor “In some lands dark night” (Hughes) to then later reinforce the idea of suppression and oppression. Much of the population would love to free themselves from such subjugation, but many are frightened of the consequences. Countries like the Soviet
Dreams are hopes that people hope to accomplish in their lifetime. When trying to achieve these goals, people are willing to do anything. But, what happens when a dream is deferred? A dream pushed aside can disappoint a person in the deepest way. It is likely to spread throughout their thoughts and becomes a burden. In the poem “Harlem,” Langston Hughes, through literary devices, introduce a strong theme through a short amount of language Hughes is asking what happens to a dream that is being put off.
“I swear to the Lord I still can 't see Why Democracy means Everybody but me..” This is a quote from a well-known poet by the name of Langston Hughes who served as a prominent figure in African American history and is known for maintaining a significant role in one of the most culturally influential periods for African Americans -The Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance describes a significant era in time where hundreds or artists, writers and musicians living in Harlem came together to form a vibrant, creative community. Hughes along with many other talented and innovative African American creators and politicians such as Marcus Garvey, Zora Neal Hurston and Jean Toomer used their voices, words, instruments and paint brushes from
Not all poems fall into the category of epic poetry or ballads. Some pieces are short and concise rather than lengthy and elegant. A shorter poem may focus more thoroughly on diction, or the author’s specific choice of words, rather than things such as rhyme scheme or meter. Langston Hughes poem “Suicide’s Note” is a perfect example of this. Because it is only twelve words long, every single word is important and chosen carefully. This poem uses many literary techniques, none more than diction, to achieve its purpose. which is to focus on the split-second decision that is suicide.
The only major shift that occurs in Dreams Deferred, happens on the last line of the poem. Hughes compares dreams to other things using similes. These similes are not instantaneous, they happen and worsen over time. i.e(Does it dry up/like a raisin in the sun?/Or fester like a sore). But on the last line, he compares dreams deferring to something that doesn’t need time. An
In the poem a Dream Deferred, many similes are sprinkled throughout the poem. All of them have one thing in common, they attempt to complete the frightening task of describing a dream deferred. The author compares a deserted dream with numerous things from a raisin in the sun to a stinky piece of rotten meat. In each line, Hughes comes up with a creative way to illustrate the different forms of a dream and what can happen to them. At the beginning of the poem, Hughes ignites the poem with a rhetorical question asking what could be the fate of a dream deferred.
I love the form of this collection of poems. The combination of prose poems, art and line forms is really interesting. I think these combinations mirror the back and forth America is neck deep in when it comes to the race card or discourse. Citizen is one of the most candid portrayal or expression of the relevant elephant in the room of the American society - race, especially black. This collect to me is a protest against the treatment of blacks in America and it candidly captures the actualities of what it means to be “citizen” (a euphemism for black) in America. The central theme of the collection is racial issue, and this is played out throughout in different scenarios. I think the body is a common denominator in the race discourse going on in these poems. And the erasure of the colored body either through slavery, enslavement or modern day Jim Crow that the African- American community have to deal with seem to be the arc of this book especially
In America’s first period of industrialization, the basis for the manufacturing process was created. Companies such as Coal, Transportation, and Textile came into the forefront and America was beginning its journey into becoming an economic power. The second wave of Industrialization known as the Gilded Age produced large businesses and large business. Many people were able to reach unimaginable wealth, but this was only limited to white males. The 1920’s or the “roaring twenties” was the first decade in which blacks benefited from this industrialization. The Harlem Renaissance put black culture into the forefront of American Society and blacks were able to create affluent towns for their families. Although the 1920’s allowed the chance for blacks to become affluent they were still highly discriminated against, which lynchings nearly doubling from 1917 to 1919. While black people had to deal with many issues during this decade, there many problems that everyone faced. The 1920’s for many people was a decade of extreme moral decline, with people caring more about materialistic happiness. People lived recklessly not understanding how their actions could affect their future. Through analyzing the two poems “Democracy” by Langston Hughes and “The White House” by Claude McKay and the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald the reader will have a better understanding of the frustrations blacks and middle-class individuals had with this decade.