Racial Pride and Optimism in L
Racial Pride and Optimism in Langston Hughes' Poetry Being of mixed race, much of Langston Hughes' poetry deals with the struggles of living in America as a minority, or in his case as an African American. Some of his early poetry can be read as more optimistic regarding the plight of his race and the oppression they experienced than most African Americans would tend to think during the early 20th century, with a voice that seemed to be uniquely of his own background--not of the dominant white voice, but one that came out of an African American heritage. This optimistic voice can be heard in four of Hughes' poems, in which he deals with topics such as racial pride and the everyday lives of African Americans: "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," "I, Too," "Mother to Son," and "Ballad of the Landlord." One of Hughes' first poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" punctuates his unique voice as an African American through its free-verse form. This poem sets the stage for Hughes' optimist outlook on life, as he writes about the collective experience of his ancestors. The rivers Hughes speaks of in the poem range from those in the land of his ancestors in Africa, such as the Euphrates and the Congo, to rivers he himself has experience
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep. I heard the singing of the Mississippi. From these rivers Hughes is able to draw spiritual strength and personal identity, as he reflects on the roots that have grown wide and spread to America to give him his own life, a life that he seems to be grateful for. While "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" and "I, Too" speak to Hughes' emphasis toward racial pride among African Americans in his work, "Mother to Son" may be a poem that defines this pride. Says I can't help lovin' you Though you do me wrong- But my love might turn into a knife Instead of to a song (13)Here we see the blues singer turning his despair into song instead of into murder. Finally, one last poem that testifies to Hughes' use of racial pride and optimism in his early work is "Ballad of the Landlord," in which a disgruntled tenant argues with and refuses to pay his oppressive landlord in a both humorous and social criticism. In short the blues reflects the trials and tribulations of the Negro in America on a secular level, much as the spirituals do on the religious level. " In these words, Hughes is empowering the African American race to see themselves as equal human beings to whites. The tenant represents African Americans trying in vain to receive some aide in their due justice, but all the while being turned down by whites. Perhaps one way African American artists, such as Hughes, dealt with discrimination and their overall plight was to release depressed feelings and thoughts into the Blues. " It is fitting, then, that one of America's most revered poets chose the Blues to express himself in so many poems. "I, too" is another optimistic poem written about a depressing period in time; a time when African American slaves were not seen as equal to their owners and were relegated to eating their meals in the kitchen, out of sight and away from the company that the owners were entertaining. Again, this is a poem written in free verse, using a dialect that could have been common to African Americans at the time, as evidenced in the middle of the poem, I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark.
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Acceptance Essays
