Langston Hughes' Themes of Oppression and Equality

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the African American poet Langston Hughes' treatment of oppression and racism, and his hopes for equality. Focusing specifically on two poems, "I, Too" and "Harlem," the paper looks at thematic and linguistic elements in the poems, and compares and contrasts them.

From the Paper:

"Langston Hughes' poetry often deals with themes of national and racial identity, frequently focusing on the problems inherent in being black in the United States during the period in which he was writing. Another popular theme that unites the other two is the period Hughes looked forward to in which there was no more racism, in which the African American will be as free from racism as the white person. These themes are central to his two poems "Harlem" and "I, Too," both of which speak of the oppression of blacks in the first half of the twentieth century and the conflicting emotions caused by that oppression."

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