2. Langston Hughes Poetry newest

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            <title>Langston Hughes Poetry: Expressions of Life Lessons, Inequality and Broken Dreams </title>
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         <publicationStmt>
            <p>Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Langston Hughes to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences. </p>
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         <sourceDesc>
            <p>This source is a collective grouping of three of Langston Hughes' popular poetry pieces. 
         It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.</p>
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         <head><hi>Mother to Son</hi></head>
         <p> by Langston Hughes</p>
      <note><figure><graphic url="https://www.flickr.com/photos/154123599@N04/40940626185/sizes/l/"/></figure></note> 
            <l>        </l>
         <l n="1">Well, son, I’ll tell you:</l>
         <l n="2">Life for me ain’t been no <hi>crystal stair.</hi><note>How would you interepret the metaphor used here?</note></l>
         <l n="3">It’s had tacks in it,</l>
         <l n="4">And splinters,</l>
         <l n="5">And boards torn up,</l>
         <l n="6">And places with no carpet on the floor—</l>
         <l n="7">Bare.</l>
         <l n="8">But all the time</l>
         <l n="9">I’se been a-climbin’ on,</l>
         <l n="10">And reachin’ landin’s,</l>
         <l n="11">And turnin’ corners,</l>
         <l n="12">And sometimes goin’ in the dark</l>
         <l n="13">Where there ain’t been no light.</l>
         <l n="14">So boy, don’t you turn back.</l>
         <l n="15">Don’t you set down on the steps</l>
         <l n="16">'Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.</l>
         <l n="17">Don’t you fall now—</l>
         <l n="18">For I’se still goin’, honey,</l>
         <l n="19">I’se still climbin’,</l>
         <l n="20">And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. </l>
         <l>         </l>
         <note>This 1922 written poem is a woman's ode to her son. She's giving him advice on pushing onward even when times are difficult. 
            Hughes sheds light into those moments when a mother or parent has shared their shortcomings with their child,
            so the can see that even through rock bottom experiences, they can still triumph and keep going. The woman warns her child to not wallow in his 
            troubles but always keep fighting no matter what. She essentialy wnats to protect him from losing himself, being defeated and being stuck in his failures. </note>
      </body>
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   <text><body>
      
      
      <head><hi>Harlem</hi></head> 
      <p>by Langston Hughes</p>
      <l>           </l>
      <l n="1">What happens to a dream deferred?</l>
      <l>           </l>
      <l n="2">Does it dry up</l>
      <l n="3">like a raisin in the sun?</l>
      <l n="4">Or <hi>fester like a sore—</hi><note> How can a dream fester like a sore? What does that mean to you?</note> </l>
      <l n="5">And then run?</l>
      <l n="6">Does it stink like rotten meat?</l>
      <l n="7">Or crust and sugar over—</l>
      <l n="8"> like a syrupy sweet?</l>
      <l>             </l>
      <l n="9">Maybe it just sags</l>
      <l n="10">like a heavy load.</l>
      <l>             </l>
      <l n="11">Or does it explode?</l>
      <l>             </l>
      <note> During the 1920s-30s, Harlem expresses a dream deffered as dream that has been put off for some time. 
         It's a dream that haunts and weighs on you, in the sense that you wnant to follow your dreams but something is holdoing you back. 
         The longer one keeps holding onto a dream deffered, the faster they lose it and the heavier it becomes.
         It's like a weight hanging on your shoulders, that keeps putting you in more pain each day as you wait for that dream to blossom, and through
         that one can lose sight of it and let it die. </note>
        </body></text>
   
   
   <text><body> 
      <head><hi>I, Too</hi> </head>
      <p>by Langston Hughes</p>
      <l>         </l>
      <l n="1">I, too, sing America.</l>
      <l>         </l>
      <l n="2">I am the darker brother.</l>
      <l n="3">They send me to eat in the kitchen</l>
      <l n="4">When company comes,</l>
      <l n="5">But I laugh,</l>
      <l n="6">And eat well,</l>
      <l n="7">And grow strong.</l>
      <l>          </l>
      <l n="8">Tomorrow, </l>
      <l n="9">I’ll be at the table</l>
      <l n="10">When company comes.</l>
      <l n="11">Nobody’ll dare</l>
      <l n="12">Say to me,</l>
      <l n="13">“Eat in the kitchen,”</l>
      <l n="14">Then.</l>
      <l>         </l>
      <l n="15">Besides,</l>
      <l n="16"><hi>They’ll see how beautiful I am</hi><note> What does this reveal about Hughes as a fair skinned man during this time period? 
         How is it relevant today? </note></l>
      <l n="17">And be ashamed—</l>
      <l>         </l>
      <l n="18">I, too, am America.</l>
      <l>         </l>
      <note>This 1926 piece highlights a moment of racial inequality and possibly a refernce to the time of slavery or segregation.
         Hughes is expressing how one is treated because of the color of his skin and is told to eat seperate from the whites.
         Although he doesn't say "the whites," the context of not being able to eat at the table serves to the ideals
          whites had during slavery and their racially motivated actions effected how people of color saw themeselves. </note>
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Langston Hughes Poetry: Expressions of Life Lessons, Inequality and Broken Dreams

Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Langston Hughes to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences.

This source is a collective grouping of three of Langston Hughes' popular poetry pieces. It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.

 Mother to Son

by Langston Hughes

1
Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.2 How would you interepret the metaphor used here? It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. 3 This 1922 written poem is a woman's ode to her son. She's giving him advice on pushing onward even when times are difficult. Hughes sheds light into those moments when a mother or parent has shared their shortcomings with their child, so the can see that even through rock bottom experiences, they can still triumph and keep going. The woman warns her child to not wallow in his troubles but always keep fighting no matter what. She essentialy wnats to protect him from losing himself, being defeated and being stuck in his failures. Harlem

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore—4 How can a dream fester like a sore? What does that mean to you? 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. Or does it explode? 5 During the 1920s-30s, Harlem expresses a dream deffered as dream that has been put off for some time. It's a dream that haunts and weighs on you, in the sense that you wnant to follow your dreams but something is holdoing you back. The longer one keeps holding onto a dream deffered, the faster they lose it and the heavier it becomes. It's like a weight hanging on your shoulders, that keeps putting you in more pain each day as you wait for that dream to blossom, and through that one can lose sight of it and let it die. I, Too

by Langston Hughes

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. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am6 What does this reveal about Hughes as a fair skinned man during this time period? How is it relevant today? And be ashamed— I, too, am America. 7 This 1926 piece highlights a moment of racial inequality and possibly a refernce to the time of slavery or segregation. Hughes is expressing how one is treated because of the color of his skin and is told to eat seperate from the whites. Although he doesn't say "the whites," the context of not being able to eat at the table serves to the ideals whites had during slavery and their racially motivated actions effected how people of color saw themeselves.

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Langston Hughes Poetry: Expressions of Life Lessons, Inequality and Broken Dreams

Created by Sommers Smith for the purpose of introducing the literary poetry work of Langston Hughes to shcolarly and non-scholarly audiences.

This source is a collective grouping of three of Langston Hughes' popular poetry pieces. It will include short analysis notes and guiding questions to help the reader's interprtative thoughts.

 Mother to Son

by Langston Hughes

 Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. How would you interepret the metaphor used here? It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now— For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. This 1922 written poem is a woman's ode to her son. She's giving him advice on pushing onward even when times are difficult. Hughes sheds light into those moments when a mother or parent has shared their shortcomings with their child, so the can see that even through rock bottom experiences, they can still triumph and keep going. The woman warns her child to not wallow in his troubles but always keep fighting no matter what. She essentialy wnats to protect him from losing himself, being defeated and being stuck in his failures. Harlem

by Langston Hughes

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore— How can a dream fester like a sore? What does that mean to you? 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. Or does it explode? During the 1920s-30s, Harlem expresses a dream deffered as dream that has been put off for some time. It's a dream that haunts and weighs on you, in the sense that you wnant to follow your dreams but something is holdoing you back. The longer one keeps holding onto a dream deffered, the faster they lose it and the heavier it becomes. It's like a weight hanging on your shoulders, that keeps putting you in more pain each day as you wait for that dream to blossom, and through that one can lose sight of it and let it die. I, Too

by Langston Hughes

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. Besides, They’ll see how beautiful I am What does this reveal about Hughes as a fair skinned man during this time period? How is it relevant today? And be ashamed— I, too, am America. This 1926 piece highlights a moment of racial inequality and possibly a refernce to the time of slavery or segregation. Hughes is expressing how one is treated because of the color of his skin and is told to eat seperate from the whites. Although he doesn't say "the whites," the context of not being able to eat at the table serves to the ideals whites had during slavery and their racially motivated actions effected how people of color saw themeselves.