The Life Of Langston Hughes And The Harlem Renaissance

The first African American to earn a living through writing, also known as Langston Hughes, is a significant figure in both the Harlem Renaissance and the poetry community. His post-school and childhood experiences influenced his writing. Hughes wrote about the lives of lower-class African Americans and racial injustice to increase awareness of the issue. Langston Hughes impacted the lives of many black communities through his writing; influenced by his childhood and experiences in New York, the places he grew up, and overseas. Hughes has had many experiences in his lifetime, especially in his childhood, allowing those events to influence his writing. Growing up, he moved to and from almost 10 cities, expanding his knowledge of different†¦show more content†¦One major tone in this poem is justice expressed by the repetition in stanza 13 of the phrase, â€Å"the millions† (Hughes.13) in each line. To convey the importance in the amount of people the inequalities of Ame rica truly influenced; Langston used literary terms to get through to the readers. He wanted justice for the people that were treated as unequals in America. Hughes expresses the tone of disappointment in stanza 2 in the phrase, â€Å"America was never America to me† (Hughes 2) as an antithesis. This phrase shows the dreams and goals of America being crushed by inequalities and the lack of freedom in â€Å"the land of the free†. The contradiction of the phrase in itself intrigues readers and conveys a negative connotation. Disappointment is expressed through this phrase because of the negative connotation and the literary device of antithesis. In stanza 3, â€Å"dream the dreamers dreamed† (Hughes.3) demonstrates alliteration. This literary device pushes the importance of dreams in the poem and how America was the opposite of the goals Langston Hughes had. The idea of crushed dreams in this phrase conveys the tones of anger and disappointment. Langston connects his purpose in writing to this poem through the expression of tones by literary terms; alliteration, antithesis, and repetition. Most critics view Langston Hughes as a key figure in the HarlemShow MoreRelatedHarlem Renaissance : A Cultural, Social, And Artistic Explosion840 Words   |  4 Pagesexplosion that took place in Harlem between 1919-1929 became known as the Harlem Renaissance. The Harlem Renaissance was a great time period in history for blacks. The Harlem Renaissance included great artists such as Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, James Baldwin, and more. The Harlem Renaissance was a movement in which blacks asserted themselves by embracing their racial identity and appreciating their African heritage. In my opinion the Harlem Renaissance gave blacks a sense a pride. 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He is recognized for his poetry and like many other writers from the Harlem Renaissance, lived most of his life outside of Harlem (â€Å"Langston Hughes† 792). His personal experiences and opinions inspire his writing intricately. Unlike other writers of his time, Hughes expresses his discontent with black oppression and focuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’