Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the important issues and themes found in Hughes's poetry, specifically the poems, "Harlem," "Dream Variations," and "The Negro Speaks of Rivers". The three poems create a triad of important factors related to black American society. The author points out that, by using symbolism and imagery in the poems, Langston Hughes expresses his denouncement of racial discrimination, while at the same time achieving consistency in putting the factors of culture, history, and the self amid this major issue. The paper relates that Hughes is one of the icons of the cultural movement of the 20th century known as the Harlem Renaissance because he encouraged fellow black American writers to pursue their goal of achieving an equal status in modern American society and because his poetry became an important catalyst for the intellectual and cultural progress that began during this period.

From the Paper:

"The first poem, "Harlem," is chosen because this is one of Hughes' earliest literary works; also, it provides the proper context in which the succeeding poems will be discussed. These poems are created while the Harlem Renaissance movement is flourishing in black American communities. Thus, interpretation in "Harlem" is based on a cultural context, using the propaganda for awareness of the black American culture as its emergent theme. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," meanwhile, is discussed second to "Harlem" because the former is directly linked to the latter: while "Harlem" centers on the culture of black Americans, "The Negro" focuses on the historical context in which the culture of enslavement and suppression was created and propagated. Lastly, "Dream Variations" is the last poem discussed in the paper because it provides an altogether new angle to Hughes' poetry."

Visitors who viewed this Analytical Essay also liked these:

• Analytical Essay # 57560 : "Poet Langston Hughes"
• Analytical Essay # 4771 : "The Poetry and Life of Langston Hughes"
• Analytical Essay # 26529 : "Langston Hughes"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: