Langston Hughes' poem "Theme for English B" describes a black young adult striving to figure out what is true in his life through an English assignment. He is both a resident of Harlem and a member of a predominantly white English class: "I guess I'm what I feel, see, and hear." I hear you, Harlem" (Hughes 17-18). The poem uses imagery and metaphor to make its point about being true to yourself.
The poem begins with a question: "What do black people want?" It then goes on to answer this question by saying that they want equality and justice. This shows that although Langston Hughes was black, he believed that blacks should be their own heroes because no one else would do it for them.
In addition, he wanted whites to understand that blacks could think for themselves and not just follow orders. This makes him different from many other blacks at the time who were looking to be rescued from slavery or ignore the issues facing their community instead of dealing with them.
Finally, the poem says that blacks want to be accepted for themselves instead of having to pretend to be something else. This shows that they should be allowed to be black and no one should try to force them to act differently because of the color of their skin.
Overall, this poem discusses how blacks should be responsible for their lives instead of waiting for others to save them. They should also be aware of the world around them and use their brains instead of just following orders.
Hughes constructs a youthful, twenty-two-year-old narrator in "Theme for English B" who speaks about his own experience as a black man in a predominantly white neighborhood. Despite being written decades ago, this poem, like many others by Hughes, is still relevant in today's culture. This poem shows that even though blacks were not allowed to vote in most states when it was written, they are now given the right to vote.
Here is how the final two stanzas begin:
"I'm a black man living in a white world," the young man says. "And since I've known my name is John, I've taken it upon myself to find out more about my true history."
He goes on to say that he is sure he was born in Africa, not America, and that his parents had other ideas about his birth country. They believed that being black meant that he was brought up here in the United States. The young man decides to find out more about his real father and mother so he can get back to Africa. He asks some neighbors for help with his investigation but nobody will give him information except for an old woman named Sara who lives next door. She tells him that his father was a famous writer named Christopher Columbus Ross (not Hughes) who wrote about their life in Africa. Her son has also heard of this father but he cannot remember much about him except that he used to write poems about Africa.
Langston Hughes uses symbolism and rich sensory images in "Harlem (A Dream Delayed") to convey us the feelings that he and his people go through in their struggle for freedom and equality. He develops the poem to a thrilling climax by employing questions. As the reader answers these questions, they discover more about Harlem and its dreamers.
Hughes starts off with a scene of violence as two men fight over something dark and red. The poet takes us on a journey through Harlem, giving detailed descriptions of each district. At the end of the first stanza, we are left with many questions about Harlem and its inhabitants. In the second stanza, Langston Hughes asks us what kind of music goes along with "the glee of black girls' laughter" and "the joy of black boys' eyes". He also wonders if there are "pretty little colored girls" living in Harlem. In the third stanza, he questions whether or not there are any white people who live in Harlem too. Finally, in the fourth stanza, the poet leaves us with a revelation: that there are actually three Harlems - one in reality and two more in imagination. Through this amazing image, Langston Hughes tries to tell us that despite the fact that there is still much work to be done in order to achieve true equality, everything will be all right.
Harlem has become synonymous with beauty and elegance in American culture.
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