Poems can be analyzed in various ways ranging from their complexity to the emotions they convey to readers. The poems, “The Weary Blues” by Langston Hughes and “The Harlem Dancer” by Claude McKay will be analyzed based on their similarities and differences to name a few. The poems may describe different events; however the overall connection between the two can be identified by readers with deeper reading. Comparisons between the poems may easier to analyze and identify compared to the contrasts based on the reader’s perception. Overall, the concept and much more will reveal how the poems are connected and special in their own way.
“The Weary Blues” and “The Harlem Dancer” both have a musical setting placed in a bar where the narrators describe what’s taking place with the use of alliteration. “The Weary Blues” conveys how skilled the piano player is with the quote, “He made that poor piano moan with melody” (Hughes, line 10) compared to “The Harlem Dancer” when they describe the performer’s dancing skills, “She sang and danced on gracefully and calm” (McKay, line 5). The narrators each describe themselves as enjoying the performances taking place in their own poems. The narrator of Hughes’ poem enjoys the performance without the disturbance of others, whereas in McKay’s the narrator is surrounded by others watching the dancer, “Applauding youths
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The pianist in “The Weary Blues” sings about his pain out loud where anyone could hear him, “I ain’t happy no mo’/and I wish that I had died” (Hughes, lines 29-30). The dancer seems to hide the way she feels behind her dancing and appearance, “But, looking at her falsely smiling face” (McKay, line 13). The dancer may be younger and a woman compared to older pianist but it seems they share the same sadness. The narrators in both works however are able to see the pain and despair that the performers are going
Comparing and contrasting poems Poetry often takes different forms mainly because different poets have different styles through which they communicate their intended messages. According to Kathy, it is this style that defines the different works by different composers (Kathy 7). This paper hereby seeks to compare and contrast Heaven and I am a cowboy in the boat Ra. The main objective herein is to identify the similarities as well as differences between the two pieces of work.
In the poems "London, 1802" and "Douglass", although written 100 years apart, they described freedom fighters that fought for justice and equality. Although, the poems differ int he way they are structured and the style that they are written in, both poems were able to commemorate these politcical figures for their important contributions in unique and difficult situations. At first glance, the poems written by Wordworth and Dunbar have many similarities in structure and organization. Both of the poems start off with commemoration of important figures in the past, describe the source of trouble and the poems both end with highlights of the two freedom fighter 's characteristics. The similariteies between the two extend beyond stucture, it goes onto the imagery also.
The Harlem Renaissance illustrated the explosion of a new intellectual and artistic vitality among the African American culture in the 1920s. This movement included the beginning of the gradual assimilation of African Americans into a polarized American society among whites. In The Lynching and The Harlem Dancer, Harlem Renaissance poet, Claude McKay, expresses the consequences of African Americans as they attempt to integrate into every day life (diverse syntax). McKay’s poems give two similar examples of discriminatory and obscene actions that a lynching victim and a club dancer must endure. Despite the encouraging atmosphere of the cultural movement, the poet presents the two sonnets in a similar matter to convey the degradation of human
Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African American poet in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He became one of the first influential Black poets in American literature, showing much representation for this community. Being born to formerly enslaved parents provided him with first-hand knowledge of the treatment of slaves and African Americans during this time. Much of Dunbar’s work depicts the difficulties of life for African Americans, along with the efforts that were made towards equality. Paul Laurence Dunbar uses symbolism, extended metaphors, and imagery to tell a deeper story throughout his poems “Sympathy”, “The Paradox”, and “In Summer Time.”
Poetry Analysis Once the poem “History Lesson” was written numerous poetry foundations celebrated it for many reasons. “History Lesson” not only makes an impact on literature today it has also impacted people also. This poem inspires people and moves them to the point to where they can find a personal connection to the poem itself and to the writer. Not only does it hold emotional value for those who were victimized and those whose family were victimized by the laws of segregation, but the poem is also celebrated for its complexity. The poem uses many techniques to appeal to the reader.
The Harlem Renaissance, Segregation, and discrimination were all harsh things that were happening towards the African-American race. In this era there was a person who it affected him so much that he had to create inspirational poems about it, that person was Claude McKay. McKay had to suffer from many of harsh and racial things in his life. While writing his poems McKay uses imagery in it while he is describing America. Most of his poems were sonnets.
Furthermore, the superficial simplicity of Hughes’ poems is not meant to deceive, but to encourage readers to engage in poetry from different perspectives because there is more to the poem than meets the eye. Additional questions remain, however. Does Hughes’ experimentation with form threaten to mischaracterize or further objectify the subjects of his poetry? Does Hughes ascribe too much value to these ordinary objects and places? Are there limitations to Hughes’ experimentation?
The Harlem Renaissance is a time period where literary, artistic, and intellectual movement began in Harlem. It is also known as “The New Negro Movement”. This movement showed African - American culture throughout their work. However, Post - Modern is a certain writing style. This style has been around since the 1950’s and is still used today.
In his poem Harlem Cabaret, Hughes recreates the sounds and feelings he experienced while listening to the blues by describing a single scene in which a lonely blues musician sings his soul out. Hughes uses imagery to convey the loneliness and he uses onomatopoeia to convey some of the sounds. Hughes describes the singer as standing in "the pale dull pallor of an old gas light" (5) which isolates him from everyone else like a spotlight even while his music plays through the
Some of the significant subjects were music, literature, poem, and art. The poets Langston Hughes and Claude McKay were some of the most influential poets from the renaissance. The poems “The Harlem Dancer” by Claude McKay and “I, Too” by Langston Hughes will be used to compare and show how two poems form the same era could be similar yet different based on their subject, purpose, style, tone, and rhythm. “I, Too” creates the world where people are treated equally. With so much discrimination and segregation occurring in the 20th century, it was a world that people wished for.
The main themes of Langston Hughes’ poetry is using simple language to bring his point across about politics and equality. The accessibility of his poetry allowed for, at a time where education was still a privilege and very much segregated, for people of every background to understand the message he was
Have you ever thought about how African Americans achieved ability to register and vote for their rights? That is explained by Selma, which was a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. After the historic demonstrations there were multiple poems about what occurred. A few examples of poems written about Selma include “The Road From Selma” written by June Brindel and “Selma 1965” written by Gloria Larry House. It is interesting to see the same event written by two different people, it led to better
Today, we might take our freedom for granted, but those who do not have freedom, long and pray for it, even if they know it is not possible. In “Sympathy”, poet Paul Laurence Dunbar discusses and sympathizes with the treatment and the feelings of the racial inequality at the time, through the use of symbolism, tone/mood, and rhyme to convey his theme of racism and its effects on the human soul.
Langston Hughes was a poet well known for his Harlem Renaissance poetry. "I, Too" by Langston Hughes is a wonderful example of a piece of poetry from this time period. Hughes speaks of a Negro who is not equal to the whites of the household, and when company comes calling, he is not allowed to sit at the table as their equal but instead has to eat in the kitchen. The powerful tone of the poem shows how much the narrator dislikes this form of discrimination, but is not going to throw too big of a fuss. Instead, he patiently waits for the day when he, too, can sit at the table with whites when company comes calling.
The poem Refugee Blues was written by Wilfred. H .Auden in 1939 during World War Two. “Refugees Blues” is in reference to the abuse of human rights and the suffering, despair and isolation that all refugees experience during their journey of survival. The poet uses a range of techniques such as contrast, emotive language and personification to convey the hardship refugees had to endure.