Step-by-step explanation:
Langston Hughes was a renowned poet and writer known for his powerful works that explored the African American experience and themes of identity, culture, and social injustice. Here are two of his poems along with some of the literary elements present in each:
1. Poem: "Harlem" (also known as "Dream Deferred")
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Literary Elements:
- Metaphor: Hughes uses metaphors throughout the poem to compare a deferred dream to various things, such as a dried-up raisin, a festering sore, rotten meat, and a heavy load.
- Imagery: The poem creates vivid images by describing the potential outcomes of a deferred dream using sensory language, evoking the senses of sight and smell.
2. Poem: "I, Too, Sing America"
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.
Literary Elements:
- Symbolism: The darker brother represents African Americans who have been marginalized and excluded from equal treatment. The kitchen symbolizes a place of segregation and inferiority.
- Repetition: The repetition of "I, too, sing America" emphasizes the speaker's determination to be recognized as an integral part of America despite facing discrimination.
- Tone: The tone of defiance and hope is evident in the speaker's resolve to rise above segregation and assert his rightful place at the table.
Langston Hughes' poems are rich with literary devices that enhance the emotional impact of his works and contribute to their lasting significance in literature.