Harlem River Drive

Throughout Langston Hughes’ poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” the theme of roots is prominent and this theme gives rise to the ultimate meaning of the poem. The poem cites strong imagery related to veins, rivers, and the roots of trees and give the reader a sense of the importance of these objects. Furthermore, through Hughes’ use of language and images, he is able to create two meanings for the theme of roots. On one hand they refer to the deep roots like trees have as well as in the…

The Harlem Renaissance: Langston Hughes and Claude McKay The Harlem Renaissance exposed some of the most passionate, intellectual literature written. Langston Hughes poem “Harlem” and Claude McKay poem “If we must die” contributes to this Renaissance movement. These two authors approach to action are different but share a common theme; hope. They are very talented writers that gave a voice to their community and are prime examples of Harlem Renaissance authors. One author shows it by visualizing…

2. This piece of poetry by Langston Hughes is a beautiful conglomerate of irony and foreshadowing. In the poem he is essentially saying how the word freedom is such are really beautiful and easy to say all day every day; and even perfect in theory. However, the word liberty (which is freedom coming into fruition), saddens him. Hughes elaborates by saying that if you had experienced what he had, and knew what he knew, you would be sad too. This eludes to that he had experienced oppression,…

The Harlem Renaissance had a vast impact on many people that inspired and influenced many individuals during the 1920s through 30s and even now. Proving themselves as any other, African Americans felt undoubtedly assertive performing through many forms of art. Typically, they represented themselves through fashion, dance, writings and music to express their culture as a whole. Many African Americans created art to show assertion and confidence. Likewise, expression was seen in art, showing the…

Of the African American dancers and choreographers, we have studied so far, I believe that they have broken out of traditional representations and stereotypes of black bodies. Examples of this are seen through major figures such as Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, and Alvin Ailey. Katherine Dunham was one of the major figures that helped break traditional representations. She was known as the “Matriarch and Queen Mother of Black Dance.” She was the director and founder of Katherine Dunham Dance…

The Harlem Renaissance, also known as the “New Negro Movement” was a time of intellectual, artistic and social outbreak that occurred in Harlem, New York during the 1920s. Many African-American authors, poets, musicians, and artist emerged. Recognized figures such as, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay wrote progressive literature. On the contrary, Jessie Fauset wrote literature focused on middle-class blacks, race relations, and the similarities between Blacks and Whites (Christian 9). Many…

The poem, “Theme for English B” by Langston Hughes illustrates the idea of racism of having the belief that race represents the difference in human character or ability and that a specific race is superior and more important to others. It often results in segregation, discrimination, and prejudice towards people based on their race, ethnicity, or cultural background. Additionally, in the poem, the speaker illustrates how he grew up in a world where black people are subjected to perpetual and a…

In the Harlem Renaissance African American had endured centuries of slavery and the struggle for abolition. Starting in about 1890, African Americans migrated to the North in great numbers. African American culture was reborn in the Harlem Renaissance. The migration eventually relocated hundreds and thousands of African Americans from rural South to the urban North. The Movement also included the new African-American cultural expressions across the urban areas in the Northeast and Midwest United…

The Harlem Renaissance was an African-American cultural movement in Harlem, New York during the 1920s and 1930s. It witnessed a revolutionary upsurge in artistic, social, political and cultural expression and instilled empowerment in African-Americans as they fought racial oppression and injustice. Langston Hughes, widely regarded as a major leader and influential writer of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote poetry and prose often promoting racial pride, condemning racism, and depicting the diverse…

passion to poetically write of the struggles faced by many impoverished African Americans. During the Harlem Renaissance, Langston Hughes used poetry to convey the African American cultural through a rhythm and blues style about dreams, suffering, the soul, and America. Langston Hughes expresses his concerns of deferred dreams, which were lost during a depressive time in a short masterpiece called “Harlem”. This poem was published in 1951 when blacks (African American’s) were still fighting the…