As I Grew Older Langston Hughes Analysis

It’s not an instinct, but rather a coincidental opportunity to have a passion with adversities, however possessing the capacity to stay committed to it. That is the dilemma in the poems, Mother to Son” published on 1922 and “As I Grew Older” published on 1925 by Langston Hughes. Hughes was an African-American poetry legend from 1920s-1960s whose work was much appreciated by a variety of audience especially the Black community. Hughes was a prominent voice during this time representing the suppressed opinions of numerous who have faced prejudice and inequities. For being an influential voice, he took advantage of that to raise his voice to convey the struggles of an African-American residing in the United States; the land of free. Both poems have a way of demonstrating similar concept close to their heart, but with the focus on utilizing different literary device. To begin with, both poems aim is to reveal the obstacles placed upon the individuals identifying as blacks, but with non-corresponding use of literary

The speaker is recalling his “forgotten dream” realizing its been there, “bright like a sun” (l.5). The comparison of the brightness of his dream with the sun informs the reader about his aspirations for the future were once a dime and demonstrates the significant of it. It goes on with about this “dream” of his and says, “and then the wall rose… slowly, slowly, between me and my dream” (ll.7-10). This illustrates how Hughes’ personifies the wall by giving it human qualities to display the wall as this barrier in front his desires and to implement emphasis on the extent of this issue. Additionally, through this, it allows the readers to understand this oppression which the speaker wrestles. This illustrates how Hughes uses differing writing techniques, yet to only covey the message of a struggled black individual representing the discriminated voice of