Letting America Speak: Analyzing Langston Hughes' Call to Action
In the work 'Langston Hughes' 'Let America be America Again' Essay' we will research the main topics of the poem and which literature devices were used by the author. In the poem written by Langston Hughes known as Let America Be America Again, he discussed the differences between Americans as he knows it in contrast to the ‘American Dream’. Immigrants traveled to America seeking the idea of being free and treated fairly. Unfortunately, America’s reality abruptly ended those hopes and dreams. Throughout the poem, Langston remained sanguine about America being able to get back to fulfilling the dream of the people.
The speaker is an Immigrant from India, he considers himself as a poor disempowered “Negro” slave grasping hopes that weak people must rise one day above all the power. In addition, he is a servant, a farmer in his soil, stuck working with a machine representing himself as poor, starving, and disabled struggling to live in the “land of dreams”. While living under the old world of the oppression of kings, he dreamt of living in a free land. This dream led to building America step by step making his dreams much stronger. To reclaim America, it is up to those disempowered dreamers to endure the pain even after keeping the faith, sweating, and bleeding.
Outside of economical racial dominance, social groups and religious practices Hughes contradicts hopes in America by accepting the reality of life throughout the poem. For people who flew to the United States to fulfill their dreams and be safe from ill-treatment and abuse, they experience in their homeland, which did not come true in America with Hughes comments sarcastically on the false image noticed on America with Hughes cravings on America to be as America was before. During the early stages of America, people practiced oppression and slavery, in order to build their settlements on the land to the native people which systematically destroyed everything. Hughes explains the idea in “America” only exists in dreams. He insisted to “Let America be the land of dreams with strong love”. America is widely known to be “dog eat dog” country for people who are poor and immigrants treating them as slaves and discriminating against them. People who are hungry were not allowed to drink in a cup by plenty of others, even if they are ambitious and hardworking, they were always kept aside from comfort and success.
Out of equal pieces of acceptance and wealth, many dreamers came to America with their hopes, says the speaker Hughes acknowledging the issues momentarily. They dreamt a dream that is very strong and true. African slaves had no choice rather to arrive in America from Poland, England, Ireland, and many other countries and states. He believes that America must not discriminate against immigrants. America should be reformed and reborn new t accommodate everyone other than going on with greed that consumes them.
A couple of years after the poems came to the limelight, Hughes highlighted that America believes in equality for all and this includes for even the dark immigrants and not only Americans. The country must be successful without discrimination. In the pre-Civil Rights era, Africa Americans experienced alienation, and ambivalence is exemplified in this poem, also encouraging them to retrieve and rise in their land, because everyone deserves the same power as whites regardless of skin color, ethnicity, and religion.
The literary devices like stanzas, rhymes, repetition, metaphor, alliteration, point of view and extended, metaphors are greatly emphasized in this poem. Although the length of stanzas varies and depends upon the message showcased. The exact number of lines is not mentioned. To draw readers’ attention into his poetic elements using his messages, Hughes used rhymes such as ‘be” and “free” in the 2nd and 4th lines. He also continues to use rhymes such as “Wreath” and ‘breath”, which is signified. Hughes's message in ‘freedom doesn’t exist” is repeatedly used for effective variations. There are also some other lines that have been used repetitively for emphasis on the matter. The word machine has been used metaphorically to show himself down because of the American system. The phrase “Dream the dreamers dreamed” represents alliteration. He also talks of land liberty using alliteration. The prom uses the first person as for the point of view by indicatively using “I’ throughout the poem. With many comparisons of how America should be the extended metaphor used in America itself. In lines 14 and 52, where he says that the land should be free with opportunities and equality this is the aspect of metaphor that has been used. The tone used 8in the poem is very angry, resentful, and frustrated having a little hike at the end. The author Hughes feels left out in the dream of America id the main central theme of the poem. He thinks it’s true for people who are poor without money, power, land, and minorities.
Throughout ought the poem, Hughes uses images to express his feelings a speaks to the readers. For instance, the mention of “grab the gold” in line 21 it’s an example of imagery that is used in the poem among others. The image of veils and darkness evokes the images as a language of sensory impressions and mental images in lines 17 and 19. There is also an aspect of dialogue in question from use in the poem which brings about an image that calls up as covered dreams in darkness to people who are poor, minorities, and immigrants.
Hughes at the end of the poem concludes that America has failed to live up to its promises. He tells the reformation of America is not only possible, but it is very necessary for each citizen living, visiting, and immigrating into the state must have equal rights and power, regardless of color, culture, ethnicity, and race. Even if America has never been the dreamland as it has to be. Hughes demonstrates that “ we, the people must raise America from lies, rape, death, discrimination, bias, and prejudices, so as to achieve the land, rivers, and beauty of nature- which should at most happen before the land becomes “ America’ again.
Work Cited.
- Hughes, Langston, et al.” Langston Hughes: Poem ‘Let America Be America Again’ Summary and Analysis .” GradeSaver, www.gradesave.com/langhston-hughes-poems/study-guide/summary-let america-be-america-again.
- LitCharts.”Let America Be America Again Summary
