Langston Hughes-the Voice of African Americans Essay Example

Langston Hughes Langston Hughes-the Voice of African Americans Essay Langston Hughes-the Voice of African Americans Essay and â€Å"I, Too† by Langston Hughes are representative of Hughes ability to capture the vast experience of being black in America. Hughes’ ability to define African American heritage and the daily experience of being black in America through poetry and essays helped move the Harlem Renaissance into the forefront of American Literature. For Hughes, being African American meant many different things. As an African American each day was different and through the years Hughes’ experiences continued to allow him to relate what it meant to be black in America. Whether it was pride in one’s heritage or anger about racism; Hughes’s poetry was able to capture the feelings of the many blacks who were dealing with the issue of being black, but wanted to fit into â€Å"white Americaâ€Å". In Huges essay the negro artist, he captured the essence of blacks looking at themselves through the eyes of white America â€Å"But this is the mountain standing in the way of any true Negro art in America- this urge within the race toward whiteness, the desire to pour racial individuality into the mold of American standardization, and to be as little Negro and as much American as possible. . Hughes felt the need to address the racism and prejudice that existed in America. Though Hughes was very optimistic about America and its ability to improve racial tensions the reality of racism was hard to ignore. In I, Too Hughes used a black male servant as a metaphor for African Americans. The servant who is sent away to the kitchen whenever company comes allows the reader to understand Hughes’ view of America and its attitude toward African Americans. Hughes examines the segregation of America and the idea that change is possible. The actions of the servant reveal the struggle of African Americans as a people who want to be equal to other Americans. The title of I, Too itself suggests that the speaker of the poem believes that he is also an America. The speaker includes himself as one of the many who â€Å"sings America† (line 1). The idea that one â€Å"sings America† reveals a pride in being a citizen of the United States of America. The speaker aware of his â€Å"two-ness,† his two identities of being black and American, expresses the anger of knowing that many people do not acknowledge him as an American. For this reason Hughes allows the speaker a response to those who do not believe blacks to be Americans worthy of equal opportunities and rights. The speaker identifies himself also as the darker brother (line 2) revealing that he is black (dark skinned) while connecting himself to white Americans who are lighter in complexion. The use of the word ‘brother† helps the speaker to assert that he believes that he is an American symbolizing the common bond he shares with whites. The speaker goes on to say that he is sent away to the kitchen by his employers when company arrives. He implies that he is sent away because â€Å"they† (his white employers) believe his not worthy of being at the table when others are dinning. The inferiority that the speaker feels suggests the feelings of many African Americans who experience racism and prejudice. The speaker then addresses the unfair treatment by his employers in his response in lines 5-7 â€Å"But I laugh, And eat well, And grow strong. † The speaker laughs at the ridiculousness of his employer’s actions. The speaker seems amused that his employers believe that by keeping him in the kitchen they can forget his presence. This line allows Hughes’ message to be heard. Hughes sends a message to America that the â€Å"darker brother† or African Americans will continue to fight racism and prejudice. The speaker who symbolizes all African Americans would not be content with inequality and injustice. Hughes not only provides readers with the problem in America but also what he believes is the appropriate response to the unfair treatment of African Americans. Hughes provides an optimistic view of the future of the African American race by giving the speaker hope for better treatment from his employers. â€Å"Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table When company comes† allowing the speaker to envision a day when America would be a place of equality and fair treatment of all people. Hughes word choice lends itself to the frustration that many African Americans felt in terms of racism. The word â€Å"dare† in line 11 suggests that one day the act of ordering the speaker to eat in the kitchen would be condemned. Hughes provides an idea for what will one day happen to those who do not believe in the value of blacks as people or American citizens. In line 15 the speaker says â€Å"They’ll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed. † Hughes seems to infer that once whites begin to recognize the value of African Americans as people and citizens they will be ashamed of the way they have treated them. The last line brings to life Hughes idea of a new America; a place where a black person can say with pride and a sense of belonging â€Å"I, too am America. † If I, Too allowed Hughes to reveal an African American’s desire to be a proud American equal to white citizens The Negro Speaks of Rivers reveals the part of the African American identity that celebrates the strength and pride of an African heritage. â€Å"The sun was setting as the train reached St. Louis and began the long passage from Illinois across the Mississippi and into Missouri, where Hughes had been born. The beauty of the hour and the settingthe great muddy river glinting in the sun, the banked and tinted summer clouds, the rush of the train toward the dark, all touched an adolescent sensibility tender after the gloomy day. The sense of beauty and death, of hope and despair, fused in his imagination. A phrase came to him, then a sentence. Drawing an envelope from his pocket, he began to scribble. In a few minutes Langston had finished a poem. † (Rampersand, 1988) Hughes wrote The Negro Speaks of Rivers at 17 and dedicated the poem to W. E. B. Dubois. Though he was young and inexperienced as a writer; the poem revealed Hughes’ pride in his roots and the beginning of a legacy of poetry for African Americans. Hughes suggests that four rivers- the Euphrates, the Congo, the Nile, and the Mississippi have helped to cultivate black people throughout the years. The Negro Speaks of Rivers is quite different from other poems in that Hughes connects all black people through their African heritage. The poem spans over years of blacks in history who benefit from a heritage that has allowed the speaker to believe that his â€Å"soul has grown deep like the rivers† (Hughes, 1926). Hughes lists the rivers in their historical order which helps the reader to understand the legacy of the rivers that have shaped people of African descent. As each river is revealed in the poem the speaker’s soul grows deeper symbolizing a race of people who become stronger throughout history. From the building of pyramids to the end of slavery the poem seeks to show the connection Hughes felt to his ancestors. Hughes legacy of providing a voice for African Americans continued throughout his career. In 1951 nearly two decades after writing I, Too in which he addressed the issue of racism Hughes revisited the pain associated with being African American in Theme for English B. Hughes explores the relationship between an African American student and his white teacher. The poem reveals how race affects the African American’s self-identity. The speaker of the poem first reveals his instructor’s command â€Å"Go home and write a page tonight/ And let that page come out of you-Then, it will be true† (Hughes, 1951). The student questions the assignment revealing his hesitation to complete it. In the next stanza Hughes reveals the speaker’s identity. The speaker reveals that he is a colored college student; and that he is the only colored student in class. This assertion helps the reader to understand that this student believes that he is different from his peers and his instructor because of his race. As the speaker ponders his age and his experiences he realizes some of the things that reveal his self-identity. As the speaker continues he lists the many things that contribute to his identity. In lines 24 and 25 the speaker even recognizes that in some ways he is like people from other races. In his self-analysis the speaker realizes that though he is not white and his instructor is white he need not avoid what is true about their relationship. The truth is that they are both American as Hughes state in line 33 and there are times when African Americans do not want to be associated with white Americans and vice versa. The speaker accepts his reality and is made aware that in being African American he is able to learn from his white instructor. The speaker seems more satisfied when he realizes that the instructor can learn from him as well. In all three poems Hughes accomplished the task of giving African Americas a poetic voice. This voice allowed the pride of one’s heritage, the anger and frustration about social injustices, and the pain associated with being African American to become a part of American Literature. Hughes’ ability to draw from his experiences and those of the people knew gave him a range of topics for his work. Hughes desire to uplift the African American race is evident in most of his work. Through his poems I, Too, The Negro Speaks of Rivers, and Theme for English B Hughes gives African Americans reasons to feel proud of who they are and what they contribute to society.