Langston Hughes and Billie Holiday Comparison Essay by Nicky

This paper explores the African-American experience through the poetry of Langston Hughes and the songs of Billie Holiday, further presenting a comparative analysis of their themes. First, the paper briefly notes the experience of African-Americans during the mid-twentieth century, showing how this is when the basis for the civil rights movement began. Then, the paper describes the artistic work of both Hughes and Holiday, showing how both created written works delivered only through different media. The comparative analysis explains that Hughes and Holiday created poetry and songs, respectively, that mirror the lifestyle, beliefs, and values of African-Americans during their time. Despite this similarity, however, their works differ in the form of their 'attack' on racism. Various individual poems are analyzes as well as some of Holidays songs. The paper concludes by stating that although they differed in thematic content, both Hughe's and Holiday's work powerfully reflect the African-American experience.