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Theme for English B
Langston Hughes Analytical Poem: Theme For English B

Langston Hughes is considered one of the most influential historical African American poets of his era. The Harlem Renaissance is portrayed in Hughes point of view, expressing countless amounts of poems that had a colossal effect on the time period. Many familiar themes are illustrated in Hughes’s poems, a major theme being African American struggle for Equality. The era was filled with segregation and injustice, which made Hughes’s not only an extraordinary poet but also a major activist. Langston Hughes’s poem, “Theme For English B” discusses such themes in such a non-complex way with the use of simple diction and tone. This powerful poem uses unique literary techniques combined with pure emotional appeal that allows the audience to get a complete understanding of the message within and truly feel Hughes’s image. Growing up, Langston Hughes was thrown into a devastating period filled with let down and rejection. He was forced to live with his grandmother based off this rejection he constantly faced. When Hughes’s grandmother passed away, he was finally allowed to move back in with his mother. This is when the oppressed teenager began writing his first poetry. Throughout Hughes’s high school life, he encountered impressive success but also battled with conflicts and unsettlement. The conflicts were able to fuel the powerful poetry that is filled with so much emotion. Hughes’s chaotic life never stopped him from becoming very educated, positioning himself at Columbia University. This allowed Hughes’s to advance his education until he decided to become involved in Harlem. Hughes’s quickly became an essential part of the arts scene in Harlem attracting other influential writers such as, Countee Cullen, Claude McCay, W.E.B. Dubois, and James Weldon Johnson. When Hughes’s won the first prize in the poetry section of the 1925 “Opportunity” magazine literary contest, his career was launched.

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