Compare And Contrast Langston Hughes And I Hear America...

America Singing Slavery was a time of despair and great pain for many African Americans. Americans today hold a much different view on slavery than all of their ancestors. Slavery is not only suggested but it is illegal completely and very immoral. Back then, blacks and some whites fought to end slavery. The 246 years of black enslavement finally came to an end on December 6, 1865. Many people used art, writing, and music as a way to express themselves during this hard time. Walt Whitman, an American poet, used idealism to show his feelings during this period of time. Another poet by the name of Langston Hughes, who was a black man, who invented a new form of jazz poetry that incorporated both his own style of poetry and gave him a chance†¦show more content†¦He believes that black men and white men will be brothers and they will be equal. Obviously, race is an issue discussed in both of the poems but in different ways. The last way the poems are different is the audience they are speaking to. They are both speaking to America but they do it in different ways. Whitman is addressing America as a whole when he states, Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,The day what belongs to the day—at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly, Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs. He wants America to be great as a whole and he sees the heart of the issue relies deep within America together and hot a specific group of people. On the contrast, Hughes digs deeper and builds off of Whitmans idea by speaking to the prejudice. He obviously sees a real problem with race. He talks to those who discriminate against him and his people by speaking to them directly and showing he believes they are the real heart of the issue. He says, Besides, Theyll see how beautiful I am And be ashamed—I, too, am America. He suggests that these people are ashamed of him even thoug h he is beautiful on the inside. Whitman and Hughes are obviously both speaking to America but in different ways. The poems of Whitman and Hughes are among many others thatShow MoreRelatedThe Genesis Of The Mid Twentieth Century America3651 Words   |  15 Pagesand its people came its â€Å"poet laureate† Langston Hughes (Davis 276). One cannot conduct any scholarly investigation of Harlem without encountering a barrage of information regarding Langston Hughes. Likewise, one cannot study Langston Hughes without encountering Harlem. When Langston Hughes first experienced Harlem, he had a reaction that would profoundly impact his writing for the rest of his life: â€Å"I can never put into words the underground ride to Harlem. I went up the stairs and out into the brightRead MoreTheme For History B 12 Years A Slave2487 Words   |  10 PagesSolomon said, â€Å"He could not compare to nothing else than the burning agonies of hell† (45). We talk about slavery and how cruel it was, but I would not know unless I actually had to experience it myself. I’m not a voyeur of slavery , but I am a spectator through reading and watching. I do not enjoy reading a novel or observing a film that involves anything with black suffering, but in contrast I believe that by engaging in this type of theatre you can become a witness. I use this source of entertainmentRead MoreLangston Hughes Research Paper25309 Words   |  102 PagesIn 1919, when Langston Hughes was seventeen years old, he spent the summer with his father, Jim Hughes, in Toluca, Mexico. Langston had not seen his father since he was a small child, and he was excited about making the trip. However, during this visit, no affectionate bond would develop between Langston and Jim. Jim Hughes was a cold, difficult man, who was driven by ambition to make money and achieve respect. He had moved to Mexico to avoid segregation and racial injustice in the United States