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Salvation Langston Hughes Literary Devices

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Langston Hughes starts the setting with a very bold statement. “I was saved from sin when I was going on thirteen” (203) but then quickly follows it up with, “But not really saved” (203). That makes the reader question what he means by that. It is a good hook. He then sets the setting, and starts off with a time span of a couple weeks, but then later on narrows it down to minutes. This helps the tension build up throughout the piece, and keep the reader’s attention. When Hughes heard that he was going to be saved by Jesus from his aunt he took it quite literally. He thought that Jesus was going to welcome him with open arms, and that he would be able to meet him face to face to be able to be saved. Hughes is able to convey imagery very well. When Langston lied about being able to see Jesus, he creates a picture in our minds with detail, “Suddenly the whole room broke into a sea of shouting. Waves of rejoicing swept the place” (205). That gives the reader a sense of also being in that exact spot. The title “Salvation” was just setting up for the rest of the essay to be filled with irony. The whole time the reader is on edge waiting for Langston to be saved by Jesus, but unfortunately he does not get saved. He ends up having to lie in order to make the people around him satisfied. …show more content…

Throughout the piece of writing, the author keeps going back on how long it felt, and being in the church with the heat and people praying. “Now it was really getting late. I began to be ashamed of myself, holding everything up so long” (204). The author stretches the time period of him waiting to see Jesus, but once he admits he “sees” him - time suddenly speeds

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