Analysis Of Once Poem By Langston Hughes

1) We move from the academic observations of Dr. W.E.B. DuBois and the cadences of Langston Hughes at the height of the Harlem Renaissance (1920-1937) to the time of the Civil Rights Movement (1954-1968) and the much more direct voice of Alice Walker. This poem, "Once," was published in 1968. Make some observations on this poem. Contrast it with the tones and styles of the two authors above, and talk about the differences. How do you respond to this? Discuss. This poem is hard to read at first because it jumps around from one mini story to the next. Once you know that’s what’s happening, it’s easier to understand. It’s sad how much people went through during this time because their skin was a different color. She is very blunt in the way she is writing her poems, and she uses very vulgar language at times. She only uses it when it’s necessary and dramatic, though. This is similar to Hughes and Dubois because they aren’t afraid to say what they are thinking or …show more content…
I believe she is talking about independence and self will because she says that we shouldn’t depend on anyone else. She’s saying that we have to tame the “disappointment” if we want to be happy and to expect nothing from other. Also, we should stay away from false hope.
3) The author of eleven novels, the most famous being Beloved in 1987, along with countless other works in both fiction and nonfiction, Toni Morrison has received virtually every prize achievable for a writer, including, in 1993, the Nobel Prize for Literature. This excerpt is the prologue to her very first novel, The Bluest Eye, written in 1970. Observe her choice of a banal storybook text, its mutation, and then the stark summary of the events that will unfold in the novel. Discuss how you think this juxtaposition sets up the reader for what