The Works Of Langston Hughes - Research Paper Example

The Works Of Langston Hughes Langston Hughes is an outstanding representative of Harlem Renaissance. A creative heritage of this poet impressed the contemporaries with openness and ability of the poet to raise one’s voice against racial and political oppression. His poetry inspires and the readers feel uplifted after reading his poems. Freedom of artists was one of the most important concerns for him. African American writers have been always focused on the ideas of liberty and racial equality. This nation has been suffered from oppression for a long period of time and the voices of the insulted and the humiliated can be heard in the lines of Hughes’s poetry. The importance of creative expression cannot be denied, because the legacies of Hughes became a strong basis for foundation of the black poetic tradition. Hughes deserved his place in the world’s literature, love of the audience at his time and admiration of the contemporaries. Langston Hughes is a striving fighter for freedom and liberation. His imaginative and creative techniques enable readers to penetrate in the depth of African American heart and realize anxiety of this nation from within. With the help of vivid means of expression of his ideas, he used metaphors, similes, comparisons, special tones in his poems. In such a way, Langston Hughes initiated a strong and a powerful swim of African American poetry. Treatment of Modern Poetry Langston Hughes is appraised by the modern critics and they underline that it is very difficult to become a well-known and a popular poet in America, if he happens to be black. Langston Hughes is described by critics in the following way: “Hughes is now seen ... as one of the major world writers of his century, even if his own nation, with its sad prejudices, so often found it hard to see him as an outstanding American writer" (Reyes 2009, p. 268). Langston Hughes is an iconic national American treasure and a global literary giant of the 20th century. Cultural legacy of the writer was stamped in 2002 commemorative stamp. Therefore, the contemporaries of 21st century are following his literary tradition, respect and study his creative works. Langston Hughes contributed much to empowerment of black womanhood, though he did not have a proper attention from his own mother. Hughes saturated his poetry with controversial issues, such as race motifs, class concerns, sexuality and gender issues. This was a framework outlined for his poetry, but which was studied in the late 20th century by theorists. Poetics of Hughes is often considered by the modern critics in terms of his blues prose and poetry, internationalism, political consciousness, children's literature, film aesthetics, sexuality and homosexuality, literary criticism, epistolary biography, and autobiographical performativity (McLaren, 1997; Wallace, 2007; Hokanson, 1998 JUST GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE SOURCES, NO DIRECT QUOTE AND NOT PAGE NUMBER). A talented poet managed to implement various dynamic and challenging perspectives and techniques in his work. Analysis of his poetry has always taken place in the captivating sociopolitical context. Hughes reflected a complex sense of being in his poetry and a challenging aesthetics. A great relevance to the modern global context can be seen in Hughes’s global sensibility. For example, in his poem the "Black Atlantic" and "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" he wrote on his way to his father, who lived in Mexico. Crossing the geographical borders turned into a poet’s ability to grasp some senses and feelings about different places and reflect those features in his poems. In accordance with Reyes (2009): “[T]he Mississippi crossing that accompanied the composition of 'The Negro Speaks of Rivers' was not as simple as, well, crossing the Mississippi. The literal engaged the figurative across aesthetic, personal, and historical lines" (Reyes 2009, p. 269). Treatment of Poetic Elements Very often poetry of Langston Hughes is considered in the political context. Racial issues played a crucial role in his poems for sure, but his poem “Dream” is not politically or racially charged at all. This poem is full of hope, inspiration and imaginative tools, providing the readers with a fertile background for creative considerations (Gohar 1998, p. 18). Nevertheless, poetic elements implemented by the author are evident in this poem and unmistakable poetic and stylistic features can be easily recognized: Hold fast to dreams  For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow (Dream Variations Analysis Online) This poem is full of motifs of hope. There are special techniques used by the poet, for example, instead of “if” Hughes writes “when” in the second stanza. What does it mean? Actually, it means that he had a difficult life (Gibson 2003, p. 463). When I read this poem I realized the real meaning of freedom. It may seem weird, but I was really fascinated by Hughes’s masterful embodiment of his inner thoughts and dreams and reflections of the whole African American nation! It is necessary to hold on dream and never give it up. This poem is full of inspiration and its magnificent nature is too exciting. There is no life without dreams for sure. Hughes, just like other African Americans was suffering from oppression and tortures. These people could not live a sound life and there is now wonder that Hughes compares the life they had with "a broken-winged bird." Life is a natural wonder and freedom makes our lives serene and calm. When Hughes compares life with a barren field in the second stanza, he underlines that it is impossible to leave our dreams. Actually, this poem is above political motifs. Its height and literary saturation with poetic means is much deeper. A dream is a global concept and a life is as well. Hughes manages to compare these two integrative parts of human existence and show their greatness. In the poem “Dream Variations” there is another type of reflection of hopes of the poet: it seems like a poet is turned into a bird and he is lacking of freedom and his wings are oppressed. This poem is allegoric comparisons between oppressed reality of African Americans and their striving for liberation. To fling my arms wide In some place of the sun, To whirl and to dance Till the white day is done. Then rest at cool evening Beneath a tall tree While night comes on gently,       Dark like me— That is my dream! (Dream Variations Analysis Online) Hughes vividly uses images, repetitions, and dealing in a masterful way with rhymes, political and social content. Similes and metaphors make the poetry of Hughes emotionally charged and appealing for the readers. Critics realize this feature very well and consider Hughes to be the master of a word. This poem again refers to the nature. Hughes is sure that the nature and the life of humans go hand in hand. He associates a color of the night with the color of his skin and he is proud of it! A gentle, dark night is of the same color, as a color of the poet’s skin. He is magnificent in his greatness and in his ability to notice the slightest details and drawing parallels between these two great phenomena. Metaphors are helpful tools for reflection of the poet’s creative ideas and a great artistic potential. His poems are full of poetic means of expressivity, but there is no other chance for Hughes to bring his ideas to the readers so intensely and brightly! It is possible even to hear music in the lines of his poems. The language of poetry is a fertile land for creative explorations for Hughes. Thus, he integrated blues structures in his poetry (Hokanson 1998, p. 64). It is relevant to focus on the poem “The Weary Blues”: the readers of the modern generation and of time of Hughes can hear enchanting motifs of blues. Throughout his poems, Langston Hughes used metaphors and similes everywhere. In such a way, expressivity of his poetic heritage is confirmed. For example, in the following excerpt from “Harlem” published in 1950, there are a lot of metaphors and similes: “like a raising sun”, “like rotten meat”, “or crust and sugar over–like a syrupy sweet”, “like a heavy load”; alliteration: “does it dry up” (Graham 2002, p. 38). The last lines of this poem are written with a distance between the lines. It looks like the poet intentionally creates an image of “sagging”. The last line: “or does it explode” implies aggravation. It seems like the poet used every line for a certain goal. He used to implement various strategies and techniques to his poetry and it was very important to reflect his essential thinking and attract attention of the readers to the most crucial issues of humanity. He cultivated motifs of equality and freedom, but he also raised hopes and dreams throughout his poems. Conclusion Langston Hughes is a master of a poetic word. He used to create vivid images and evoke imagination of his readers in different eras. Richness of his poetry allows the readers and critics to consider it in different contexts and from various perspectives. There is no doubt that political and social issues played one of the most crucial roles in the poetry of Hughes. Nevertheless, in this research paper it was shown that integration of musical elements and creating images of hope are two other strong abilities of the poet. Poetry of Langston Hughes should be considered from different perspectives, because he managed to integrate sensual and political concerns in his poems. Hughes is a master of literary intricacies. His artistic nature freely exists thanks to openness of many opportunities and vivid strategies of comparisons, similes and metaphors, which are ever existent in his poems. The poet opened a picturesque world of black American poetry and diversified literary background of the country and the world. Annotated Bibliography Dream Variations Analysis. Web. 15 July 2012. http://www.eliteskills.com/analysis_poetry/Dream_Variations_by_Langston_Hughes_analysis.php Gibson, Donald B. "Arnold Rampersad, Ed. the Collected Works of Langston Hughes."African American Review 37.2-3 (2003): 462+. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This journal article deals with a critical review of Hughes’s creative heritage. It is claimed that the poet created his poems in the name of ant-racial motifs promotion, protection of black womanhood and many other acute social and political issues. Gohar, Saddik Mohamed. "Subverting the History of Slavery and Colonization in the Poetry of M. Al-Fayturi and Langston Hughes." The Western Journal of Black Studies 32.1 (2008): 16+. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This journal article considers poetry of Hughes in the context of comparison with the poetry of M. Al-Fayturi. The main idea of the article is to show Langston Hughes as a fighter for anti-racial motifs and reflections on slavery. Graham, Maryemma. "Langston Hughes Centennial, 1902-1967: the Beat Goes on."The New Crisis Jan.-Feb. 2002: 36+. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This article is a brief review of Hughes’s creative heritage. Literary transformations of the poet, specific features of different periods in his poetry are considered. A centennial contribution of Langston Hughes to the world’s poetry is presented from the perspective of his variety of works. Hokanson, Robert O'Brien. "Jazzing It Up: The Be-Bop Modernism of Langston Hughes." Mosaic (Winnipeg) 31.4 (1998): 61+. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This article is focused on early work with African-American musical forms in Hughes’s frst published volume, The Weary Blues (1926) and a long poem, Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951), which in itself departs from mainstream jazz and is implemented into the more rebellious mode known as "be-bop”. McLaren, Joseph. Langston Hughes: Folk Dramatist in the Protest Tradition, 1921-1943. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1997. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This book is a corpus of the well-known and less known works created by Langston Hughes. His poems in this book are considered from various perspectives, integrating folk and anti-racial motifs. Reyes, Angelita D. "Memory Telling and Praise-Singing of the Genius of Langston Hughes." The Journal of African American History 94.2 (2009): 266+. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This journal article sums up critical ideas about the most known poems of Langston Hughes. Being one of the first Harlem fighters for African American poetry, Hughes managed to create his own creative unique heritage outlining the most socially acute issues. Wallace, Maurice. Langston Hughes: The Harlem Renaissance. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2007. Questia. Web. 13 July 2012. This book presents a modern interpretation of Hughes’s creative heritage, his literary devices and a general overview of Harlem Renaissance. Read More