LANGSTON HUGHES DORIS YAO INTRODUCTION James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1‚ 1902 – May 22‚ 196 7) was an American poet‚ social activist‚ novelist‚ playwright‚ and c olumnist. He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new liter ary art form called jazz poetry. Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harlem Renaissance. He famously wrote about the period that "the negro was in vogue"‚ which was later paraphrased as "when Harlem was in vogue". THE NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS • I’ve known
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Langston Hughes- Salvation Salvation‚ how many people actually know what it truly means? Better yet‚ how many times do citizens hear that salvation is the answer to all problems? This‚ yes‚ is true‚ but how many times are Christians encouraged to accept salvation without knowing what they are doing. Langston caught in the middle‚ sits on the ‘mourners’ bench’ waiting to hear Christ‚ waiting to feel The Lord‚ and waiting to somehow see Jesus. In Langston Hughes’ short story Salvation‚ one is
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Dreams was written during the time of the Harlem Renaissance‚ by Langston Hughes. The poem maybe only 2 stanzas short‚ but Hughes was able to demonstrate the meaning behind the content. The main idea of the poem is dreams‚ but has no physical limitations. Hughes could mean hope‚ faith‚ or family‚ but it depends how the readers interpret it. During the period of the Harlem Renaissance‚ “Dreams” was most certainly important because Hughes was a black writer that wrote about the hardships they were
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called “Salvation”‚ Langston Hughes recalls how he was introduced to religion and the church. He goes to say that at thirteen years old he was brought to his Aunt Reed’s church and was told that he needed to be saved by Jesus Christ. At the ceremony‚ while all the other children went up to accept Jesus‚ Langston and another child named Westley remained seated. As the congregation prayed and the priest sang psalms‚ Westley cracked under the pressure and went up to the alter‚ but Langston still sat. He had
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Composition 2 15 May 2013 Literary Technique Poem Analysis The imagery in Langston Hughes’ poem “The Weary Blues” explains the theme of dejection and the relief that music can bring. In the first line the words droning and drowsy appear‚ immediately reflecting the tone of tiredness first stated in the poem’s title. These two words‚ droning and drowsy‚ describe the blues‚ the type of music the narrator is hearing. Hughes’ imagery is further reinforced by his description of the ambient light as a
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Saved From Innocence In most people’s lives‚ there comes a point in time where their perception changes abruptly; a single moment in their life when they come to a sudden realization. In Langston Hughes’ "Salvation"‚ contrary to all expectations‚ a young Hughes is not saved by Jesus‚ but is saved from his own innocence. "Salvation" is the story of a young boy who has an experience of revelation. While attending a church revival‚ he comes to the sudden realization that Jesus will not physically
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“Cross” by Langston Hughes “I wonder where I’m gonna die‚ / Being neither white nor black?” (11-12) These are the last two lines of “Cross” a poem by Langston Hughes that describes the experience of a mixed-race person. The poem is written in stanzas with a rhyme scheme of ABCB. The speaker expresses the frustration and grief that a half-black and half-white person has and the struggles to accept and understand their ethnic identity‚ offering stereotype in a world where black people and white people
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Salvation by Langston Hughes In Langston Hughes’ story "Salvation‚" the author describes his first encounter within the church in regards to him being saved from sin. At the young age of thirteen‚ Hughes is waiting to see Jesus appear before him -as a sign of a religious epiphany- but nothing seems to happen. In which case‚ he truly experiences religion for the first time in his life. Hughes adopts a sarcastic‚ mocking‚ and cynical tone because he suggests the church to be an ironic
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Most people have expectations of how something is going to turn out. When things do not turn out the way‚ we want them to turn out; the feeling of disappointment takes over. That is a coincidence when I read "Salvation" written by Langston Hughes because I run into my feeling five years ago‚ not in the same situation with him‚ but not so many differences to be his partner. "Salvation" is a short story‚ but inside it is a long anxiety and unforgettable experience for the boy. Only he knows what he
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Dreams are tools that can help people change their world in a positive or negative way. Hughes says‚ “Or does it explode?” (Hughes 11)‚ just like the first line of the poem‚ this final line is a question directed to the reader making another connection. Unlike the rest of the lines in the poem‚ this one is italicized making the reader pay more attention to it and gives it more meaning. Hughes uses the word “explode” in a way that it can be seen as both a harmful and a peaceful way‚ but is determined
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