"Let America be America Again"

Paper Summary:

This paper takes a look at Langston Hughes' poem "Let America be America Again". The paper focuses primarily on the theme of hope and protest that are prevalent throughout the poem. According to the paper, Hughes emphasizes the conflict he sees for African-Americans and, at the same time, he visualizes hope for them.

From the Paper:

"Here we see how the poet is reaching for hope that he has not yet seen but believes is possible. This passage reveals how America can be the dream that his people long for without tyranny and the notion that one man can crush another. Here, we see how the poet longs for every man to get along and believes that it can happen at some point in history. This is also evident when the poet writes, "opportunity is real, and life is free,/Equality is in the air we breathe" (13-14). He writes, "I am the young man, full of strength and hope,/Tangled in that ancient endless chain/Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!" (26-8). This is an interesting passage because it unites the hope the poet believes in and the underlying reason for protest of why it does not exist. Again, we see that the poet clings to hope because he realizes how important it is to the human psyche. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Calvin Hernton, "The Poetic Consciousness of Langston Hughes from Affirmation to Revolution." Langston Hughes Review. 12:1. GALE Resource Database. <http://wwwinfotrac.com> Site Accessed April 17, 2006.
• Hughes, Langston. "Let America Be America Again." Poets. Org. Site Accessed April 17, 2006. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15609>
• Miller, Marilyn. (Gypsy) Rhythm and (Cuban) Blues: The Neo-American Dream in Guillen and Hughes." Fall 1999. 51:4. EBSCO Resource Database. <http://search.epnet.com> Site Accessed April 17, 2006.
• James Presley, "The American Dream of Langston Hughes." Southwest Review. 48:4. GALE Resource Database. <http://wwwinfotrac.com> Site Accessed April 17, 2006.

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• Poem Review # 113609 : "Let America Be America Again" and Symbolism"

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