Langston Hughes 'Claims Of Freedom And Justice For All'

Historically countries, such as America, have muted and failed to addressed the social injustices against minority groups. Although America is considered to be the “melting pot,” it continues to face issues regarding freedom and justice for all of its citizens. Langston Hughes, who was a writer and social activist, wrote poetry during the Harlem Renaissance which addressed the social issues facing African Americans and minority groups. Allusion, anaphora, and rhyme scheme are employed by Hughes in his poem, “Let America Be America Again” in order to show how false America’s claims of equality and “Justice for all” are. Hughes uses allusion to allude to an iconic symbol of America’s freedom and liberty and to show that things are not what they seem. The poem has numerous examples of allusion such as, “O, let my land be a land where Liberty / Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath” (11-12), and “I am the young man, full of strength and hope, / Tangled in that ancient endless chain / Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!”(25-27). These allusions of American figures and bondage are iconic to what makes up the essence of the country. Hughes alludes to the statue of liberty, which is a representation of equality and justice for all Americans. However later in the poem, he alludes to the opposing force of slavery, which exploited and

Although things may be presented as and appear to be right and just, many times minority groups have been marginalized and exploited in order to pacify the majority groups of America. The country prides itself on having “Liberty and justice for all,” and that has not been the case in the past and remains the same way in the present. Hughes poem remains relevant in the present day because there are still injustices being faced by minority races and groups holding minority