Through Langston Hughes’ poem, “Let America Be America Again” argues the idealized myth of the American dream through the promise of equality, the betrayal of the American dream, and the call for justice in America. In saying, “Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed” Hughes emphasizes the hardships of marginalized groups in America, who historically, were excluded from basic civil rights. Langston Hughes demands that America must continue working to create a more equitable society in hopes of living up to its promise of an egalitarian nation. Hughes describes the ideals of the American dream, “The ideal that every citizen has equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard work, determination, and initiative.” He conveys
“I Hear America Singing” by Walt Whitman and “Let America Be America Again” by Langston Hughes. Whitman and Hughes both mention the love for the America dream. There are many similarities and differences between the two poems. They both are describing what was happening in America one in mid 1800’s and one mid 1900’s what was happening during this time was finally abolished slavery in the south & the Civil Rights Movement. Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman are similar because they use the same technique
In 1935, a famous poet by the name of Langston Hughes wrote a poem called “Let America be America Again.” (Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." Poets.org. Academy of American Poets, 25 Oct. 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.) In this poem we notice the use of personification, repetition, and symbolism to understand the contrasts Hughes is making with the reality of America and the hopes he has for America. James Mercer Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was
During the time when these poems were written america was not america. It was not the land of the free. It was filled with segregation and hate. Hardly anyone could do anything. If you were african american you were a slave and were anything but free. Langston Hughes does a great job of explaining this in,” Let America Be America Again”. “Let America Be America Again” is a poem that explains how america is not what it should be. America is supposed to be the land of the free. But it was definitely
“Let America Be America Again” focuses on the idea of the American dream and how for many wanting freedom, equality and happiness which the dream itself to begin impossible to attain Langston Hughes makes the speaker of the poem look for the reasons why this ideal America has been gone , or change, but could still be there . Not the mention that in poem stanza 1-5 it states “Lets it be the dream it use to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain seeking home where he himself is free Let America
In Langston Hughes poem, “Let America Be America Again”, he describes the dream he has for America to exist at its fullest potential. His dream for freedom, equality, and true democracy is heard loud and clear throughout this work of art. However, the downfall is that America is yet to live up to the standards it so proudly “represents”. The issue roots in the gap between what America claims to be and what it actually is. In this poem, we see where this gap lies and the reality of America is revealed
pursuit of an ideal. One ideal of particular note is inspiration. So let me ask you this: if we live in a world where inspiration is so easy to come by through poetry, why is our world plagued with inequality and injustice? Why is it the case that race relations, racism and bigotry are never far from the surface? That, ladies and gentlemen, is my question to you. I’m your host James Pullen – welcome to Peace and Poetry. Let
poem “Open Letter to the south” by Langston Hughes is about the inequality of people and how we should all come together as one no matter you skin color. In the Poem “Let America be America Again” also by Langston Hughes is from the perspective of a low class black man and expresses his difficulties. Both “Open Letter to the south” and “let America Be America again” compares the longings for acceptance, hope, and the future. In Let America it talks about how America is a place where people go to be
that accomplishes all this, and more is Langston Hughes, a poet that most people consider a modernist. His topics include; dignity, the American Dream, racism, self-actualization, and many others. He wrote about things that people were afraid or uncomfortable to talk about, which definitely broke away from traditions set by romantic poetry. The poem of his that I chose to analyze is “Let America Be America
Name Instructor Course Date of submission Let America Be America Again By Langston Hughes Theme: Freedom In his poem, let America be America again, Hughes focuses on American freedom and equality. His concern was on the socio-economic division in the American society. Relating the American declaration at independence, Hughes observes that the road to achievement of equality and freedom lost. The country has become corrupt and its leaders and businessmen are greedy. The grabbed land and gold
picture America as the land built on the dreams and hopes of immigrants from around the world. However, Langston Hughes argues that such perception is nothing more than a mirage deceiving people since the start of the nation. Through his poem, Let America Be America Again, he reveals the unjust reality of America by using hortative and ironic diction. Ultimately, he pleads America to embrace the values of freedom and opportunity the country is known for. In the first part of the poem, Hughes depicts
flags we’ve hung. The millions who have nothing for our pay, except the dream that's almost dead today.” (Let America be America again, Langston Hughs, Pg 3). The American dream is a fantasy, not only for immigrants but for people who live in lower social classes and in poverty. The American dream that may have once been a thing, has faded into a fantasy of the past. The United States of America is known for having life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as its main promises. For many people, this
poem by Hughes that really stands out to me is Let America Be America Again. He attacks the notion that America is “for the free”, but does so through powerful, metaphoric language. “I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart; I am the negro bearing slavery’s scars; I am the red man driven from the land…” I find this specific passage stands out to me because Hughes takes an opportunity in his poem to expose how life was for others during the early 1900s beyond just the blacks in America. I found
Let America be America Again is a poem written by Langston Hughes. The poem speaks about the aspiration of citizens of the United States. They want the country to prosper so they can succeed in their endeavors and desires. The poem also speaks about the American dream. In the dream, people hope to work hard and earn from the work of their hands, which may help them in the pursuit of their dreams. The poem also talks about liberty, which is the freedom of thought and expression of people. In the writer’s
Langston Hughes has a type of cynical view on America that seems to change its taste as he gets older. The first to look at is “I,Too” where he seems to have a hopeful view of his country and separates the citizens from the country. He says things such as “They’ll see how beautiful I am” which shows that he feels good about his future and the future of racial tension. Which he then transitions into “Let America be America again” where he is crtizieing the American people for saying that they are
renowned poet Langston Hughes grew up at a time prior to the Civil Rights era; a time where discrimination and prejudice were prominent parts of society. After traveling from city to city for a couple of years, he settled in Harlem at a time when the African-American artistic movement that celebrated black life and culture was under way: a.k.a the Harlem Renaissance. It was then that he put his experiences of his childhood into a skillfully written poem, “Let America be America Again”, which epitomizes