Step-by-step explanation:
This part of the poem explanation focuses on how ‘Ardella’ may appear to be a simple poem at its surface from a single reading of its content, but how it has a hidden layer of meaning beneath. This interpretation may seem to be purely speculative in nature, but there is ample evidence in the poetry of Langston Hughes to suggest that he always brings in references to African-American life in some way or the other – whether such references are explicit or implicit. If this is taken to be true, then ‘Ardella’ can be read as an allegory of the resilience of the African-American community. Their lives are as dark as the night, and there does not seem to be even a single ray of hope to mitigate the darkness or make it bearable. However, their eyes still sparkle with enthusiasm when they occasionally find a reason to smile. Their lives appear to be as drab as a dreamless sleep, and they appear to be close to death at times under the burden of the work that their white masters make them do. However, their songs sustain them through such experiences. The songs that Hughes here refers to cover a range of musical styles that are predominantly performed by African-Americans starting from the songs of the slaves on white plantations to the blues of the 1920s and 30s as well as the jazz of the 1950s and 60s. It is well known that Hughes himself was very interested in the rhythms of jazz music, and even incorporated them in his music. He believed that music was the way in which the African-American community copes with their hard luck, and therefore, he saw in music the potential for a cultural revolution within his community.