Question

In Langston Hughes' poem "LONG VIEW: NEGRO," what is the effect of the line "Emancipation: 1865 Sighted through the Telescope of dreams"?

A. It emphasizes the importance of the year 1865.
B. It suggests that emancipation is viewed through a lens of hope and aspiration.
C. It implies that dreams are more significant than reality.
D. It signifies the end of the poem.

Answer 1

The line from Langston Hughes' poem suggests that emancipation is viewed through hope and aspirations, signifying a distant, idealized event that had yet to be fully realized.

Therefore, the correct answer is: option B. It suggests that emancipation is viewed through a lens of hope and aspiration.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Langston Hughes' poem "LONG VIEW: NEGRO," the effect of the line "Emancipation: 1865 Sighted through the Telescope of dreams" is nuanced.

Specifically, the language suggests that emancipation is viewed through a lens of hope and aspiration, fitting the option B. The term telescope of dreams metaphorically portrays the year of emancipation as an event that was long anticipated and idealized by African Americans, symbolizing a vision of freedom that had yet to come fully into fruition.

The final stanza is a repeat of the first. The repetition gives the reader a chance to reflect on the poem and its meaning. Thus, it was viewed as a distant, somewhat idealized event, indicating that the impact and promise of emancipation were still not fully realized at that time.