Langston Hughes vs. Tupac Shakur - Essay Example

Mother vs. Mama The struggle of the Afro Americans even after their Emancipation from slavery has been the theme of many works of literature. The struggles of blacks also affected the family relations. The inequalities faced by them and their survival against odds have also brought them into paths of social evils like drugs. In these circumstances the black women were mostly victimized (Marlatt, 305). They were burdened with the responsibilities of bringing up their children despite having more than one husband. The black children usually found their mothers by their side and the fathers were mostly absent. The relationship in terms of the lessons taught by a black mother to her son and the way she raised him through two chosen poems – “Mother to Son” by Hughes and “Dear Mama” by Shakur. Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son” essentially illustrates a mother’s sermon to her son who is probably in his growing years. She teaches him by giving examples from her life. The poem belongs to the Harlem Renaissance period which celebrated the culture of the Afro Americans who came up to cultivate their talents in art and literature. Hughes’ poems are normally characterized by “a strong black racial consciousness and folk aesthetic…reflect a black perspective and point of view” (Davis and Jenkins 199). The poem highlights the essence of this period, using the “black vernacular” where the mother encourages her son to move forward and not to look back in life just as the black heritage was moving forward. The poem therefore depicts a certain awakening and motivation. This inspirational piece addresses the struggles of blacks. She begins by saying that life was not very easy for her – “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” (Hughes 917). There were hazards which brought about pain in her life and here the poet uses figurative language to compare hazards with “tacks” and “splinters”. She says there was “no carpet on the floor – Bare” (Hughes 917) which depicts that she had no shelter or place to rest and this signifies isolation. Yet, she says that life moved on as time passed by. She came across “landin’s” and “turnin’ corners” (Hughes 917). Here she says that despite all odds she has managed to reach some of her goals (landin’s) and she tried to live differently with time or put her hands on new things (turning corners). She says that there was darkness where she traveled and there has been no light. Perhaps she means traveling alone or in a foreign land and her difficulty also brings out her courage and faith for a better future. She advises her son not to “set down on the steps” (Hughes 917) while climbing the stairs of life. She says that despite the difficulties, he should not fall because she is still going on with her life and it is still not a “crystal stair”. A mother shares her experience with her son such that he later gains some motivation from the same and this might help him move forward in life. She is aware that being a black boy he will also be facing troubles like herself, but he needs to keep his faith and courage to face the troubles and meet his goals. This is a one sided sermon and no proper interaction has been shown between the two characters. The son’s presence is silent. So one would not actually know what the reaction of the son is and if he feels motivated and inspired. The song “Dear Mama” is basically a tribute from a son to his mother and is the autobiography of a son written in appreciation of his “mama” – it is a “thank-you to Afeni for her hard work as a single mother (Golus 71)”. This poem also shows the struggles of the blacks and in essence the woman. He did not have his father by his side but his mother who was treated badly by her husband did not leave her children alone despite the fact that the son finally could not make her proud (Jones and Jensen 148). He did not cry at his father’s death since he was a “stranger” to him. Looking for a fatherly love, he adhered to the “Thugs” (drug dealers) because of the care he received from them and the love that he direly needed. The poem could be homage to all those struggling black mothers who single handedly raised their children despite poverty, social unfairness and addiction. This poem has been written by a son from prison. He was serving his time for sexual abuse but his honesty in this poem shows that “he was not the monster the media said he was” (Golus 72). It has elements from the poet’s life itself. The son talks of the wrongs he has committed. Despite the fact that his mother was a drug addict (“crack fiend”) he forgives her and calls her “a black queen”. As per observations of critics, Shakur reveals both his love and disapproval towards his mother (Golus 72). He talks about his suspension from school and hanging around with “the big boys” as he was afraid to go home. Normally when there was a problem the children blamed their mother and the son regrets all the injustice he has done to her. Even though being poor and living on welfare benefits she never neglected her duty towards her children and after returning from work she went into the kitchen to cook “miracles” out of “scraps”. Henceforth the son reveals his inspiration behind writing the lyrics in the following lines: “There's no way I can pay you back But the plan is to show you that I understand You are appreciated” (Shakur) As a grown up and as a child, he always has his mother by his side despite all odds. As a child, his mother did all the things that would make him happy especially when he was sick and when he was in a “hopeless” state, she said the “words that can get me back in focus” (Shakur). Therefore for all the “sweet things” she did for him, despite his corrupt acts, the poet thanked the Almighty that she “made” him. He appreciates her guidance and the fact that she was not trying to keep secrets – “always stayed real” (Shakur). Though he wishes “he could take the pain away” at present he has no other option but to thank her and appreciate the way she raised him. In a couple of lines, he brings out an inspirational ending of the lyrics. He moves away from his personal experiences and focus on a universal lesson – “everything will be alright if ya hold on/ It’s a struggle everyday, gotta roll on” (Shakur). Both the poems bring out a mother and son relationship but in the second poem there are other characters that are brought in. The poems are monologues; the first poem is the sermon from a mother to her son and the second one is a tribute from a son to his mother. Regardless of this, the poems bring out the struggles of blacks especially black women who raised their children single handedly. Despite the awakening of the Harlem Renaissance, blacks had to gain their ground with their own courage. Drugs were needed to find as escape route from the painful realities. In the first poem the readers cannot know much about the son apart from a hint that he is facing some troubles which is perhaps the reason behind his mother’s advice. The second poem clearly brings out the bad boy image of the son and here the son describes the struggles of his mother in raising him, unlike the first poem where the mother narrates her life of hurdles. Jackson and Vavra represent some views on the two poems regarding the character of a mother and claim that the poems reveal “how we think of women today…she is a savior and a survivor…but a sinner and a saint” (Jackson and Vavra 139). In this way women have been subjected to paradoxes and extreme conditions. This never leaves any space for understanding the woman as she is and makes us ignore the fact that she can be above a mother and the other roles she plays. In the poem ‘Mother to Son’ no clear description is provided about her troubles apart from the metaphors used here. The lyrics of ‘Dear Mama’ are more direct and elaborate in description which aroused more feelings in the reader. The second poem or the song clearly mentions the absence of the father while the first poem provides a hint of the absence of the father especially as the mother’s words depict isolation. The poet in the second poem narrates the life led by his family and the role his mother played. In this poem the poet also talks about advice from his mother whenever he has been in hopeless state. This aspect is similar to the first poem where the mother advices the son about how to move on in a life which will be marked with troubles. They say mother’s knows best; Langston Hughes and Tupac Shakur knew exactly how to show their appreciation through their love of poetry. A mothers’ advice should not be taken so lightly. It comes from strength, compassion, experience and wisdom. Life is not going to be easy not matter what side of tracks you come from, it is the knowledge and guidance that our mothers leave us with is what pushes us towards our goals. Work Cited Davis, Alex and Lee Margaret Jenkins. The Cambridge Companion to modernist poetry. Cambridge University Press, 2007 Golus, Carrie. Tupac Shakur. Lerner Publications, 2007. Hughes, Langston. “Mother to Son.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2009. 917. Print. Jackson, Karen Keaton and Sandra Vavra, Closing the gap, IAP, 2007 Jones, Steve and Joli Jensen, Afterlife as afterimage, Peter Lang, 2005. Marlatt, G. Alan. Harm Reduction, Guilford Press, 2002. Shakur, Tupac. “Dear Mama.” Rec. 12 Feb. 1995. Me Against the World. Tupac Shakur, 1995 CD. Shakur, Tupac. “Dear Mama.” AZLyrics.com Web. 26 May 2011. Read More