John Mercer Langston

Jacob Lawrence When the subject is strong simplicity is the only way to treat it. – Jacob Lawrence Jacob Lawrence was known best for his Migration Series. Lawrence was the most widely acclaimed African American artist of the 20th century. Lawrence brought the African Americans to life through his painting by using blacks and brown juxtaposed with vivid colors. Lawrence was also known for producing narrative collection such as War series. He was a professor at the University of…

“I, Too, Sing America”, by Langston Hughes published 1945 is one of these literary works that address the plight of the Blacks in the United States between 1955 and 1965. Apparently, the Civil Rights Movement in the United States (1955-1965) shows the bravest act to protest against African-American discrimination. By this time, the Blacks experienced discrimination of highest order. For instance, they were not allowed to vote and own property like the Whites (Abel 595). A series of…

The poem, “Let America be America Again” by early Harlem Renaissance writer Langston Hughes underlines several issues facing America at the time. This primary issue was that America is not living up to what America says it’s supposed to be. Hughes explains that America is not living up to the idea that it set up for itself because it is not being equal to those depending on their race as well as their class. According to Hughes America is supposed to be a place where both all races and all…

the movement there were many famous writers although authors such as Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen were two of the most famous writers in Harlem Renaissance. Both Hughes and Cullen were mostly known for their poetry although they were also novelist, playwrights, and essayists. Their literary achievements’ made them both stars in a time in which the Harlem Renaissance showcased many talented African American artists.…

Langston Hughes’ “Democracy” and Arna Bontemps’ “God Give to Men” are both written by African American poets. Each author represents pain, segregation, and racism. Hughes and Bontemps both had high education in their life, and they both went to college. Both of these poets related because they both dealt with the situation of Segregation, Civil Rights Act of 1957 & 1960, and Voting Rights Act. These two are inspiring poets who indeed inspire others of their kind to be themselves and become…

Zora Neale Hurston’s “their eyes were watching god” and its connections to Harlem Renaissance “The Harlem Renaissance was the name given to the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s. During this period Harlem was a cultural center, drawing black writers, artists, musicians, photographers, poets, and scholars” (Wormser R., 2002). Hurston has been one of the influential figure and a leader the Harlem…

seven-hundred and ninety-seven page monograph, Dubois gave an economic reason as to why reconstruction failed and how Jim Crow laws came into existence. Dubois was and still is the pioneer of the Harlem Renaissance. His influence was so great that Langston Hughes dedicated a poem to Dubois. It was titled, “The Negro Speak of Rivers”. In Hughes poem it celebrated “the voice and soul of the black community in a time of great racial, intolerance, injustice and inequality.’’ (Shmoop Editorial Team)…

Boy Blues” along with “Good Morning Blues”. Good Morning Blues is actually a song composed by Lead Belly. This beautiful song speaks of a man acknowledging his sadness and recognizing it. Po’ Boy Blues” is a touching poem of a lost love composed by Langston Hughes. Throughout this essay I will be comparing and contrasting the two pieces. Note that both pieces are not both poems, one being a song. This is not a roadblock for me considering that they both have poetic style. I believe that the two…

two men took matters into their own hands by bringing together Americans of all different races by writing poems that portrayed the horribles times African American were going through. Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen were the two men that fought for racial equality during the 1920s in Harlem, New York. Langston Hughes wrote his poems with a focus more on rhythm rather than rhyme. He mainly focused on wanting African Americans to be accepted by the American culture. Hughes implemented…

What happens to a dream deferred? The American dream is a dream that most strive for, and most can not achieve it. The American Dream, according to Jon Meacham in Time, encompasses the idea that “ those who work hard and play by the rules will be rewarded with a more comfortable present and a stronger future for their children.” This dream is a subtle ambition that Willy in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, does everything he can to obtain, even by playing by the rules. In Willy’s scenario…