Langston Hughes Lament Over Love

Poetry is an umbrella term that covers various subjects and comes in variant flavors. It’s a medium that allows the author expose a piece of their selves complexly for personal purpose. This underlying resolve is known as the author’s poetics. Some poets take it upon themselves to write for the benefit of others or just for the sake of writing. Harlem renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, has a combination of both extremes featured in his poems. Hughes heavily encouraged art where African Americans told their stories instead of what they thought the white man wanted to hear. Hughes’ poetics is representing African Americans as they are; every flaw and victory included. His desire to be proud of who he is and promoting self-love in the black community stemmed from his childhood. He used poetry as an outlet to express his divergent views of what it was to be black during the 20th century. Hughes’ poetics could be described as spreading pride and knowledge of who the modern African American is and their different faces. His poetics is conveyed to the reader by Hughes’ influence of Blues and Jazz to recreate the same upbeat feel to discuss pain and hardship. As a Harlem renaissance poet, Hughes’ …show more content…
In his poem, “Lament over Love,” the female speaker communicates to the reader in looser English to discuss her love life. Alluding to the Romantic era of poetry, Hughes juxtaposes what is expected in poetry to what isn’t. Mixing “O, like sweet red wine. / If you wants to be happy / You got to love all de time” with broken English to progressively appropriate the speaker (“Lament over Love, 16-18). The use of “O” is often associated with polished and respected literature, this line serves to directly compare the two extremes. The reader can realize a limited English ability doesn’t always equate to a lack in scholarship. (READS