Comparing Poems 'Piano And The Weary Blue'
D. H. Lawrence’s poem “Piano” and Langston Hughes “The Weary Blue” are two remarkable poems about the connection they encounter with music. Lawrence and Hughes both use music to remind them of moments in life when music impacted them most. While both poems have similarities they also have vast differences. The poems “Piano” and “The Weary Blue” both use music as a theme, but the poets tone is what makes the poems different. The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast Langston Hughes “The Weary Blue” and D.H. Lawrence “Piano” using the theme of music.
Although the aforementioned poems use music as a theme, the poets both speak in first person to inform the reader who is telling the story. For example in the “Piano” from the beginning …show more content…
In Lawrence’s poem, the memory he shares with his audience is more of a childhood memory. He says “… childish is upon me, my manhood is cast down the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.” (11/12) the piano Lawrence heard gave him a flashback into his younger years which gave him different types of emotions. Hughes poem is quite different from Lawrence’s; his encounter with music wasn’t from flashbacks but of his experience with listening to the blues. The way Hughes told his story gave me a vivid image of his time with the blues. The poet said “He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool, Sweet Blues! Coming from a black man’s soul” (13-15) the way Hughes described the singer rather than his flashback made the poet look as if the singer was more important. The relationship between Hughes and the singer and the blues creates a melancholy relationship. Hughes is a cold guy who doesn’t like to show emotion, the way he described himself wasn’t as clear as they way the singer was described “got the weary blues and can’t be satisfied I aint happy no mo’ and I wish that I had died” (27-30). Whereas in the “Piano” the role Lawrence played was more sentimental and soft. He said “betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong to the old Sunday evenings at home” (6/7), the way Lawrence talked about his feelings made me realize that he
Although the aforementioned poems use music as a theme, the poets both speak in first person to inform the reader who is telling the story. For example in the “Piano” from the beginning …show more content…
In Lawrence’s poem, the memory he shares with his audience is more of a childhood memory. He says “… childish is upon me, my manhood is cast down the flood of remembrance, I weep like a child for the past.” (11/12) the piano Lawrence heard gave him a flashback into his younger years which gave him different types of emotions. Hughes poem is quite different from Lawrence’s; his encounter with music wasn’t from flashbacks but of his experience with listening to the blues. The way Hughes told his story gave me a vivid image of his time with the blues. The poet said “He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool, Sweet Blues! Coming from a black man’s soul” (13-15) the way Hughes described the singer rather than his flashback made the poet look as if the singer was more important. The relationship between Hughes and the singer and the blues creates a melancholy relationship. Hughes is a cold guy who doesn’t like to show emotion, the way he described himself wasn’t as clear as they way the singer was described “got the weary blues and can’t be satisfied I aint happy no mo’ and I wish that I had died” (27-30). Whereas in the “Piano” the role Lawrence played was more sentimental and soft. He said “betrays me back, till the heart of me weeps to belong to the old Sunday evenings at home” (6/7), the way Lawrence talked about his feelings made me realize that he