An American minster who led the Civil Rights Movement famously said, “One day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed… that all men are created equal”, that man is known as Martin Luther King Jr. Similar to kings’ beliefs on equality stood Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was an American poet and social activist whose poetic themes targeted African American Culture, furthermore bringing about his conurbations to the Harlem Renaissance. Two of his poems titled, “Harlem” and “Negro” Hughes uses several elements of poetry to portray the theme, such as similes, diction, imagery and tone. His theme goes to show when you give up on your dream, consequences may arise. Langston wants people to be knowledgeable about what
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This simile compares a dream to gross food that has dried up. Similarly, when you give up on your dream, it dries up. During the time Hughes wrote the poem many African Americans gave up oh hopes and ambitions because of their skin color. "Or fester like a sore?" (4), this simile shows that a dream deferred can be painful, and stay in your thoughts for your whole life. Much alike the hopes and ambitions given up by many fighting for equality. Hughes also uses similes in “Negro”. For example, “Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.”(3).This simile implies that he is in fact an African American and compares himself to Africa as of the rest of his people are also black. Along with literary devices Hughes also uses a truly important tool used by poetic writes further known as, diction. In particular the quote “Or does it explode?" (11) used in “Harlem” show how the powerful use of diction compares a dream compared to an explosion. This makes the reader understand that a dream can simply explode in your face. Accordingly, the language and diction of the poem “Negro” relate to the specifics of what Hughes and ancestors as Negros went through. “All the way from Africa to Georgia. I carried my sorrow songs”(11-12).many slaves sang songs to express how they felt even to …show more content…
Although Langston Hughes wrote both poems there are many differences. As “Negro” is centered around what has happened and what has been done to African Americans in the past “Harlem” focuses on the equality’s African Americans long for. Through the use of literary elements such as, similes, diction, imagery and tone Hughes is available to fully portray the themes of both poems to readers clearly. In both poems Hughes wanted to clearly identify the purpose of his poems so readers truly understood the barriers African Americans went through. Foremost the themes of both poems go to show that when race is involved in dreams they can be challenging to achieve, without a fight hopes and ambitions would be nothing but a
This simile compares a dream to gross food that has dried up. Similarly, when you give up on your dream, it dries up. During the time Hughes wrote the poem many African Americans gave up oh hopes and ambitions because of their skin color. "Or fester like a sore?" (4), this simile shows that a dream deferred can be painful, and stay in your thoughts for your whole life. Much alike the hopes and ambitions given up by many fighting for equality. Hughes also uses similes in “Negro”. For example, “Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.”(3).This simile implies that he is in fact an African American and compares himself to Africa as of the rest of his people are also black. Along with literary devices Hughes also uses a truly important tool used by poetic writes further known as, diction. In particular the quote “Or does it explode?" (11) used in “Harlem” show how the powerful use of diction compares a dream compared to an explosion. This makes the reader understand that a dream can simply explode in your face. Accordingly, the language and diction of the poem “Negro” relate to the specifics of what Hughes and ancestors as Negros went through. “All the way from Africa to Georgia. I carried my sorrow songs”(11-12).many slaves sang songs to express how they felt even to …show more content…
Although Langston Hughes wrote both poems there are many differences. As “Negro” is centered around what has happened and what has been done to African Americans in the past “Harlem” focuses on the equality’s African Americans long for. Through the use of literary elements such as, similes, diction, imagery and tone Hughes is available to fully portray the themes of both poems to readers clearly. In both poems Hughes wanted to clearly identify the purpose of his poems so readers truly understood the barriers African Americans went through. Foremost the themes of both poems go to show that when race is involved in dreams they can be challenging to achieve, without a fight hopes and ambitions would be nothing but a