Paper discussing how Langston Hughes' poetry provides a critique of Essay

Paper discussing how Langston Hughes' poetry provides a critique of relations between blacks and whites in the U.S. Based on poems I will upload - Essay Example In his essay, "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Hughes presents his views about writers and poets’ loss of racial pride stating that "no great poet has ever been afraid of being himself" (http://www.poemhunter.com/langston-hughes/biography). He continues to declare: There is an obvious distinction and a distance between the blacks and the whites in the poems of Hughes. For instance, in â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers† (Meyer, 2002, p. 912), the persona speaks of his racial pride as part of humanity This significance to humanity and civilization is also reflected in â€Å"Negro† (p. 916). The very title itself is a proud affirmation of the persona’s dark skin. Stanzas 2-5 speak of the blacks as slave, worker, singer, and victim. As a slave, the black works for the whites in base positions as cleaner of the steps and boots. These are two terms that imply very low and humbling tasks. As a worker, he tells with pride that great structures and buildings could only be erected because of the blacks. As, a singer, he is allowed to voice out and express his misery. Finally, as a victim, he shows how he is tortured and killed by the whites. â€Å"Danse Africaine† (p. 917) talks of the rhythm of the beating of the tom-toms and the dancing of a veiled girl. This speaks of the African culture. Upon hearing the beat and the rhythm, the true blood of the blacks is stirred (lines 5 and 15). This stirring may speak of an awakening to get into action whether to fight or stand up for some important thing. This stirring may be alarming if the whites stay off-guard. Further, this may imply that too much discrimination may result to revolt. These lines imply being able to freely express one’s self in the open (â€Å"In the face of the sun†). This further illustrates how the blacks are hidden in the dark or are marginalized. Moreover, there is a positive description of the blacks in the following lines: Another