This literacy source is a collection of Maya Angelou’s autobiographies and contains five different parts: Gather Together in My Name, Singin’ and Swinging’ and Gettin’ Merry Like Christmas, The Heart of a Woman, All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes, and A Song Flung Up to Heaven. By looking at this work, one is able to witness Maya Angelou grow up in a racist society. Accordingly, Angelou focuses on what it was like being African-American in the 1900s; a time when Whites refused to accept that African-Americans were free. As specified by Angelou, “If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat” (9).
The Harlem Renaissance marked a time in American History where black artists, novelists, and poets changed the course of literature for good. Actually, Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes were two writers who truly stood out in the Renaissance era. Both so similar yet so different; in fact, their work at times seemed to conflict with one another. Hughes’s work highlighted “the resilience of black America,” as Professor Arnold Rampersad stated in his video. Meanwhile, Hurston’s work leaned more on illustrating the pros and cons of the general black culture instead of mainly focusing on its history.
First ALot of african Americans didn't have a job or weren’t accepted in jobs. The whites could call a job and get a african american person fired. The poem written by Paul Laurence Dunbar i about how black were were getting treated differently. It was also about how black people had to wear mask because they felt like they had to hide their identity. Then the poem “Mother To Son” written by Langston hughes is about how life can get really challenging sometimes but you should never give up.
In Langston Hughes’s “Harlem” and Maya Angelou’s “Caged Bird,” the use of metaphors shows the oppression and difficulties in African American people’s life. In Langston Hughes’s “Harlem” the dream deferred is a metaphor for African American people not being able to achieve their dreams. If a dream is deferred it is put off for a later time and Langston Hughes describes what he thinks happens to a dream when it is deferred. He states, “What happens to a dream deferred? / Does it dry up / like a raisin in the sun?”(1-3).
Comparing Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks “Poetry is the one place where people can speak their original human mind. It is the outlet for people to say in public what is known in private” (Allen Ginsberg). This is exactly what Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks did with their work. Hughes and Brooks were prominent African American poets. Langston Hughes, born in 1902, is known for his insight of black lives during the 1920’s through the 1960’s (Poets, 2).
The poems by Paul Laurence Dunbar and Maya Angelou are similar in many ways. A way they are similar is by how they are both talking about a caged bird and how the caged bird feels. The two poems are also explaing the caged bird singing and how he is singing with fear and not with joy or glee. The authors are also trying to show how once the caged bird had freedom, what it was like to be free and not be trapped, and also to be able to fly. The authors are trying to explain how the caged bird feels and how they know what it's like to feel that way.
The poems "I, Too, Sing America" and "Still I Rise" are similar and different in many ways. Both of these poems are written from the perspective of unprivileged, unequal members of society. Langston Hughes was a famous African American poet who wrote most of his poems about the rights of blacks. Maya Angelou was a famous female African American poet who wrote her poems about the equality of African Americans and women. Both of these poets are similar in the aspect that they are advocates of African American equality, but they are also different in the way that they write.
Do you believe in dreams? Martin Luther King Jr and Langston Hughes certainly did. Langston Hughes and Martin Luther King Jr both shared their words to describe the importance of one’s dream. Langston Hughes poems and Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech inspire their audience to believe they can make changes in the world. Langston Hughes poems and Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech both focus on the limitations of the American dream for African Americans.
America is a symbol of freedom. The poems “I, Too, Sing America” by Langston Hughes and “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou both describe how America was rather unfair during their times. Langston Hughes was a key figure during the Harlem Renaissance and Maya Angelou did not become famous or recognized until her first autobiography. Even though “I, Too, Sing America” and “Still I Rise” have completely different tones, they both convey the message of how inequality was prevalent in America. Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou both talk about how in the future they will come back and be free.
During the 1900s, there were many famous authors who wrote about African Americans and Civil Rights. This was what was going on during this time period. Segregation and discrimination towards blacks was increasing. Two famous authors were Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou. Langston Hughes wrote the poem “I, Too, Sing America.”
In the 1920’s, the Harlem Renaissance explored new, bold ideas by celebrating African American life and culture; in response, this event marked the first time that African Americans, as a whole, were taken seriously. Langston Hughes, a prominent poet and leader of the Harlem Renaissance, wrote numerous poems that questioned the American way of life in the 1920’s and celebrated being an African American. Two of Hughes’ poems, “I, Too” and “Dream Variations,” present a central theme of a longing to be equal. In the poem, “I, Too,” Hughes presents the need for equality in a bold, action-taking approach.
In the poem “I, Too”, the author Langston Hughes illustrates the key aspect of racial discrimination faces against the African Americans to further appeals the people to challenge white supremacy. He conveys the idea that black Americans are as important in the society. Frist, Hughes utilizes the shift of tones to indicate the thrive of African American power. In the first stanza, the speaker shows the sense of nation pride through the use of patriotic tone. The first line of the poem, “I, too, sing America” states the speaker’s state of mind.
Through their works, the authors expressed their social and political view on the injustice within America. Famous authors such as Langston Hughes, W.E.B. Dubois, and Zora Neal Hurston, made their mark within the world with the bold, self- conscious literature. Black writers subliminally provoked and challenged racial inequality to come to a
How and to what extent does the figurative language in some of Maya Angelou’s poems reveal the plight of Black women and the effects it has on them? The literary works of Maya Angelou explore a broad range of issues, including the difficulties faced by Black people. Several of her poems immerse the reader in the harsh realities of Black women revealing the injustices faced by different genders within a race. “Woman Work” and “When I Think About Myself” both depict the lifestyle of a female African-American speaker.
Throughout the course of history, African American people have made tremendous sacrifices to obtain equality and overall success as members of society. Many of these individuals have documented their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through various forms of art and writing. One particularly striking example of this, is a poem written by Maya Angelou titled “Still I Rise”. “Still I Rise” is a poem filled with strength and confidence, revealing Angelou’s character and positive outlook on life despite her previous grievances. Within the poem, Angelou is seemingly speaking to those who do not wish her success and prosperity.
