Langston Hughes’ Poems
The Negro Speaks of Rivers (2002)
In Hughes’ poem, the connection between culture and land is undeniable. Rivers became the humans who lived near it and so Hughes became one with the rivers. Not only did he speak of the rivers, but he also belonged to them and became them. The interesting aspect is that he is self-aware of his skin colour and not by choice. That subtle referral to racism is apparent in most if not all of his poems. Thus, he is the Negro that speaks of the rivers.
Let America Be America Again (1995)
I believe Hughes spoke of the American Dream and what it may represent, but stated that for him, America would never be America… In other words, he will never be part of such a dream nor will the dream be a part of him. In such a stance, he managed to connote the racism and inequality as well as to reflect on the deferred version that the American Dream has become in his poem as he stresses the failure of the dream in order to call for a revival of Thee America.
I, Too (1924)
In this poem, Hughes adopts America as his own. He denies being denied his right of belonging to America and of America belonging to him. The poem serves as an allegory of a cast-out child for his inability to process or comprehend the adults’ talk and can be the person who doesn’t belong. Thus, Hughes refuses such rejection and demands to be a part of America as a whole citizen and individual that will not be denied.
Harlem (1951)
In this poem as well, Hughes talks of the American Dream and what it has become. He inquires about the fate of the dream and what has befallen it as soon as it ceased to be a dream. He makes assumptions and tries to interpret the fate of such a dream that no longer served its purpose as a dream. He makes countless allegories and tries to make sense of such a dream that no longer is a dream.
