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Langston Hughes Let Usa Be America Again Literary Devices

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Langston Hughes lived during a time of social inequality, prejudice, racism, and discrimination. As an African-American, he faced these unjust acts. Unlike today where those things are condemned, those things were condoned during Hughes' lifetime. Hughes' career spanned the Harlem Renaissance, when many African-Americans greatly contributed to literature, music, and art. Hughes wrote many poems about American society during his career. In 1936, he wrote the poem "Let America Be America Again" to "express his concerns over racism and inequality for all people" (Hendricks). Hughes exposes America for its hypocrisy and social injustice. Throughout "Let America Be America Again", there is an ironic and sarcastic tone that Hughes employs to accuse …show more content…

Parallel structure and anaphora are found in the poem. In the first two stanzas, the phrase "let it be" is repeated at the beginning of lines. Hughes repeats this phrase to let America know what he is fighting for and that he will not stop fighting until his mission is accomplished. Later in the poem, the phrase "I am" is repeated over the course of three consecutive stanzas. Hughes says that he is a part of many groups of Americans that are being oppressed and are the victims of inequality. By repeating "I am", he establishes credibility to talk about this issue and puts himself into different groups of people so it does not seem like he is the only one struggling with the fight. Hughes knows how blacks are not the only group of people being oppressed so he includes other groups of people. Parallel structure is also found several times in the poem. One example of parallel structure is found in the ninth stanza. In this stanza, the word "of" is followed by a verb and the sentence ends with an exclamation point. This use of parallel structure highlights the wrongdoing of the whites in America. He lists all of the wrongdoings using the same structure to show that the different ways of oppression are not above one another; they all require the same level of attention and condemnation. In the thirteenth and fourteenth stanzas, Hughes employs parallel structure again. Hughes explains that the

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The speaker in the poem says, “Tangled in that ancient endless chain/of profit, power, gain of grab the land!” (lines 26-27). Hughes used a metaphor in these lines to describe how living in America was like an endless cycle and that he felt trapped and he wanted to feel equal to everyone else. The speaker uses this repetitive phrase, “Let America be America again,” (line 1). They use it again later on in the poem,

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The Harlem Renaissance was a period in American history, which occurred in the 1920s in Harlem, New York. The cultural movement was an opportunity for African Americans to celebrate their heritage through intellectual and artistic works. Langston Hughes, a famous poet, was a product of the Harlem Renaissance. One notable piece of literature by Hughes is “Dream Deferred”. However, the discussion of African American culture isn’t limited to the 1920s.

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When an individual supports their values and beliefs, they understand the results of standing behind them. This, however, is not the case for the citizens of the United States. Many Americans say that they are fully behind certain causes, but when they see their beliefs turn to reality, they are often surprised and shocked at the consequences because they initially never understood them. It is understood that we as citizens stand up for a country that honors truth, liberty, freedom and justice. But what if we are persuaded to think how they would like us to?

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and he’s want America be again. This poem is expression of the human soul and very emotional, moving poem. So, this poem is grab my attention the most. He wrote this poem in 1936’s.

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The culture of most blacks was unwanted during this time. For this reason Hughes desired to make a change and illustrate such cultural identities in his poems. In doing this he caused a shift in ideas among all people. Although the change didn’t happen immediately it did eventually occur. With that said the African American people were given less of an opportunity at jobs, schooling, and most importantly culture.

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The tone of Langston Hughes’ poem “I, Too, Sing America” is determined and talks about how “tomorrow” he will do what he pleases instead of doing what his master

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Walt Whitman, in “I Hear America Singing,” describes America as a place with diverse opportunities and freedoms; in Langston Hughes’s poem “I, Too” he describes how America is divided; however, he is hopeful for a better America. In “I Hear America Singing”, Whitman describes America as harmonious, beautiful, and full of hardworking people. America

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It talks about how yesterday was a thing of the past and that it cannot be changed. He talks about how each day, African Americans must march on towards their dreams. Despite prejudice, oppression, and poverty that African Americans faced at this time, Hughes points to a positive in that the only way their dreams will come true is if they focus on the present day and what they can do to fix things. They cannot be looking at the past and what has happened. His message to the audience in this poem is towards the youth, in particular African-Americans.

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Langston Hughes poem Let America Be America Again explains his dream for the new America. Hughes explains in his poem how American portrayed its self as being a free country with endless possibilities, but the poet exposes that America is not the dream for African Americans or lower-class citizens. In the poem Hughes begins with “let America be America again”; however, he also adds America was never America to me. America portrayed its self as the land of the free; however, many Blacks did not feel free due to slavery and injustice and those who fought for this dream was cast aside. The poet also adds, let it be that great strong land of love.

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Langston Hughes was a poet well known for his Harlem Renaissance poetry. "I, Too" by Langston Hughes is a wonderful example of a piece of poetry from this time period. Hughes speaks of a Negro who is not equal to the whites of the household, and when company comes calling, he is not allowed to sit at the table as their equal but instead has to eat in the kitchen. The powerful tone of the poem shows how much the narrator dislikes this form of discrimination, but is not going to throw too big of a fuss. Instead, he patiently waits for the day when he, too, can sit at the table with whites when company comes calling.

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The rhyme scheme of the poem generally follows an every other line pattern. For example, in lines five and seven Hughes uses rhyming words dreamed and scheme. Alliteration is found in line thirty saying, “humble, hungry and mean,” because of the repetition of the “H” sound (“What literary devices does Langston Hughes use in “Let America Be America Again”). Sensory devices found in “Let America Be America Again” are personification, symbolism, and a paradox. The use of Personification is found throughout the poem, because

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Langston Hughes is a Harlem Renaissance poet, who expressed himself through writing during the Harlem Renaissance. His poems during this movement were very popular and won him many awards, including the Witter Bynner Undergraduate Poetry Prize. In Hughes’ poems, “As I Grew Older” and “Let America Be America Again” he expressed what it was like during the Harlem Renaissance. Langston Hughes “As I Grew Older”

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The second speaker also reshapes the first two lines of the entire poem into a plea to the majority. Beforehand, the first speaker uses those lines as a call for the old American spirit to be revived: “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Both speakers change the meaning of the lines to express their thoughts on America. As a result, the poem expresses the desire for everyone to be treated equally in the land of freedom. The readers can relate to the speaker because they wish that everyone has equal rights in the country that proclaims itself to be the symbol of freedom.

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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.

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