Assignment 2: Project Paper

Harlem Renaissance Poets

 Introduction

African American literature had a significant impact in the Harlem Renaissance. For instance, poetry influenced the African American movement in that African American expressed their aggression toward the injustice and unfair treatment in the American society and through the empowerment of the movement, they celebrated their heritage. The most important artists in the Harlem Renaissance are Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. The former was a student in the Columbia University though he did not complete his studies. He engaged in the mastery of the art where he expressed the sense of cultural pride for the African Americans. The latter engaged in the literary movement and challenged the white authority and struggled with racism society.  He expressed his bitterness and showed a sense of racial pride in his pottery work such as ‘If We Must Die'. Generally, the African American writers ensured that black people enjoyed their culture and freed from the stereotypes. Thanks to the African-American writers for their great effort in the expression of racial and cultural pride. 

 

‘Dreams’ by Langston Hughes, 1902-1967

Langston Hughes was one of the Harlem Renaissance poets who wrote emotional and heartfelt poems that represented the culture of black people.  He played an important role in the Harlem Renaissance not only in showing a sense of racial pride but also in shaping the American literature.  His work is remembered as he condemned racism, promoted equality and enriched the lives of African Americans (Huggins, 1995). As a black writer, he was known as a racial chauvinist who empowered the Black movement. He was not only a poet, but he also engaged himself in various writing styles such as Novels, short story, nonfiction books and more. 

 In the poem ‘Dreams,' Hughes shows his desire for freedom in the American society.  When he was writing this poem, African Americans were suffering from cultural racism, and the purpose of this poem was to encourage the African Americans to hold onto dreams (Hughes & Johnson-Feelings, 2003).  Dreams and aspirations could save them and provide them with a bright future.  Despite the challenges they were going through such as cultural and economic subjugation, they were supposed to hold on their dreams or otherwise they could experience a brutal world.  Africans Americans were encouraged to focus on the future goal and hope to build meaningful lives.

 The poem ‘Dream' contains elements that show Double-consciousness. Hughes incorporates the double-consciousness in his work by using imagery such as ‘Life is a broken-winged that cannot fly’ (Hughes & Johnson-Feelings, 2003). He tends to indicate the essence of dreams and the need to hold tight to the dreams to have a bright future in the American society.  Also, he uses a metaphor ‘barren land' to indicate that if African Americas lives a dreamless life, they will not benefit from such an experience the same way a farmer cannot benefit from the barren land (Hughes & Johnson-Feelings, 2003).  If they live without dreams, their life will be worthless and covered with snow (emotionless life). Thus, they should hold onto the goals and strive to fulfill them.  These metaphors show that African Americans struggled with self and society and they could achieve success by holding tight onto the dreams.

Two primary themes in this poem include; Self-Actualization and wisdom. The first theme; Self-Actualization stands out in the poem in the first line of the first stanza ‘Hold fast to dreams’ (Hughes & Johnson-Feelings, 2003). Hughes urges the African Americans to find the inner strength, maximize their potentials, do the best they can and persevere the odds until they achieve their goals and hopes.  Another theme is wisdom. In the second line of the first stanza, the author says that ‘For if the dreams die' he tends to show the audience what happens if the dream die (Hughes & Johnson-Feelings, 2003). Thus, wisdom is important to understand the essence of dream and how a dream can help someone live a purposeful and meaningful life.

Own poem

Self-actualization and wisdom

Free Verse Poem

Self-actualization is all that you need,

Self-actualization is the path to achieving dreams and goals,

Self-actualization will create opportunities to succeed in life,

Be wise, accept yourself and embrace the unknown,

Focus on freedom and autonomy

 

If We Must Die by Claude McKay, 1889-1948

Claude was an active writer during the Harlem Renaissance. The New Negro in 1920s was a new spirit which was connected to self-dependence and, the Negroes demanded civil liberties and the end of segregation (Huggins, 1995).  The Negro Renaissance empowered the new spirit and the writers during this period focused on self-discovery and Claude was among the writes who expressed the need for discovery by writing poems in 1917.

 In his poem ‘ If We Must Die,' he expresses a sense of self and challenges the status quo in the American society after the world war 1 (Axelrod,  Roman  &  Travisano, 2005). The poem was purposely formed to encourage the blacks to fight the oppression and even if they will die, they should die while fighting back.  The poem makes a call to action and the need to combat the discrimination.  Thus, it is worth saying that Claude played an essential role in the Harlem Renaissance as he raised awareness of racism and encouraged blacks to fight for their dignity, justice, and identity (Axelrod, Roman & Travisano, 2005).  He encouraged them to join hands and fight back to eliminate the racial violence and unfair treatment.

 

 There is evidence of double-consciousness in the poem in the first sentence of the stanza. He uses the metaphor which says that ‘If we must die—let it not be like hogs’(Axelrod, Roman & Travisano, 2005). This is an indication that blacks should struggle to gain African American identity and win the freedom while in the American society. Second, the evidence stands out in the fifth line of the stanza. The author says that ‘If we must die—oh, let us nobly die’ (Axelrod, Roman & Travisano, 2005). The author means that blacks should leave behind moral principles so that they can be remembered as heroes and heroines.

 The primary themes in this poem are; mortality and honor.  The first theme of mortality is in line five ‘If we must die, O let us nobly die’ (Axelrod, Roman & Travisano, 2005). The author does not see any problem with death, but the important thing is to die like heroes.  The author tells the blacks not to allow shed their blood in vain, but they should fight back for their cultural heritage. Another theme is in the eight line' ‘Shall be constrained to honor us though dead (Axelrod, Roman & Travisano, 2005).  The author says that blacks should not resist, but they should become more strong so that even if their will die, the enemies will respect them.  The point is that in the warfare, blacks will be conquered, but they should fight back so that even if their die, their death will be honored.

 

Own poem

Mortality and honor

Free verse

 

 Even if you are conquered, you should fight back,

 Do not allow the enemies to dehumanize you,

 Let them know your masculinity, let them honor you,

 You have the power to defend yourself,

 Let your enemies honor your death.

 

Conclusion

 

African American literature shaped the African-American culture and abolished racism and slavery.  It is worth to say that all writers in the mastery of the art put their interest to black people and in specific they were interested in understanding the role black people in the American society. Since blacks’ people experienced all forms of discrimination, prejudice, stereotype, segregation, and oppression, the artists expressed their aggression using the different forms of art and through their work, they could show a deeper meaning of the role of blacks in the society.  They demanded freedom, equality and democracy and end of racism and slavery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

Hughes, L., & Johnson-Feelings, D. (2003). The collected works of Langston Hughes: Vol. 11. Columbia,

Miss: Univ. of Missouri Press.

 

In Axelrod, S. G., In Roman, C., & In Travisano, T. J. (2005). The new anthology of American poetry:

Volume two. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press.

 

Huggins, N. I. (1995). Voices of the Harlem Renaissance. New York: Oxford University Press.