Let america be america again meaning. ‘Let America Be America Again’ 2022-12-28
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"Let America Be America Again" is a poem written by Langston Hughes in 1935. The poem is a powerful and poignant expression of the struggle for equality and justice in America, and it speaks to the ongoing struggle for these ideals to this day.
In the poem, Hughes speaks to the ideals of America as a land of opportunity and freedom, where "any dream" can be realized. He speaks of the "great feast of life" that America has to offer, and how this promise has been denied to so many people because of racism, inequality, and discrimination.
Hughes describes the pain and frustration of those who have been denied the opportunity to fully participate in the American Dream because of their race, gender, or economic status. He speaks of the "darker brother," who has been "sent to labor," and the "poor white," who has been "fooled and pushed apart."
Hughes calls for a return to the ideals of America, for a return to the dream of a land where "life is free" and "equality is in the air." He asks for America to be "America again," to live up to its promise of opportunity and freedom for all.
This poem is a powerful reminder of the work that still needs to be done to achieve the ideals of equality and justice in America. It speaks to the ongoing struggle for civil rights and social justice, and serves as a call to action for all Americans to work towards building a more just and equitable society.
Despite the progress that has been made over the years, there is still much work to be done to ensure that America truly lives up to its promise of being a land of opportunity and freedom for all. "Let America Be America Again" is a powerful and poignant reminder of this work, and it serves as a call to all of us to continue fighting for a better, more just future.
Let America Be America Again Analysis Essay Example
Never give up under any circumstances. Meaning Hughes' poem is a scathing analysis of an America that boasts of certain goals and ideals but doesn't quite live up to them. Unlike the quatrains, which use hyperbole, the couplet speaks plainly. Everything he wrote in this poem can be identified today. The millions shot down when we strike? Is anyone going to bed hungry tonight? Another literary device Hughes employs is like or as. I am the people, humble, hungry, mean- Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Hughes alludes to the Statue of Liberty as a symbol of freedom but pines for a country where freedom is not just a symbol but an actuality. Hughes is speaking about an America that was the idealised country the pioneers dreamt about. . His heart is broken and a bit of innocence is seemingly lost. The millions shot down when we strike? This bold decision helps Hughes fight against the danger of 'a single story'. Like Whitman, Hughes's speaker imagines himself in many guises note that this quote also uses anaphora : I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
The Irony of history is that this poem today can refer as much to America as to Iran of today or yesterday. The urgent need for equality as an integral and indispensable aspect of the American social life is verbalized through the metaphor "Equality is in the air we breathe" Hughes 3. Finally, near the end of the poem, the speaker uses the phrase that opens the poem, "let America be America again," to emphasize that this is still his hope and his dream. The mountains and the endless plain — All, all the stretch of these great green states — And make America again! Except the dream that's almost dead today. Through anaphoric repetition and syntactic parallelism, the narrator manages to show that he is speaking up for the four marginalized groups and that equality is indeed a priority for him. This action suggests that there is a hidden and undesirable part of America, or that a part of America is not truly visible or accessible. .
Hughes' Let American Be America Again: Analysis & Meaning
Hughes also uses end rhyme such as stanza one where "be" and "free" rhyme. Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers! What stands out is that the dream of an ideal America has not died. The Langston Hughes poem might have been an inspiration to individuals who participated in the sit-ins in the 1960s. A massive collapse is imminent and much of the world will collapse with it, unfortunately. The company's stance launched a demonstration known as a sit-in, where students from area universities sat down at the lunch counter and refused to leave.
Yet, by the end of the poem, Hughes takes a more upbeat tone, saying: ''America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath--America will be! Let America be America again. The poem alludes to or references Walt Whitman's Song of Myself. For example, the second narrator says after the first stanza, " America never was America to me. I read this to a gathering on the 4th of July. . He hopes that America can be all the things it was supposed to be for all.
Let America Be America Again Poem Summary and Analysis
In fact, for some, America has never yet lived up to its reputation. Throughout the poem, Hughes uses repetitive phrasing such as, ''America never was America to me,'' to demonstrate how America has failed him. This is the true cry of my soul as an American, I have a mixed heritage like Mr. The structure of the poem is ingeniously crafted so that it could reflect the logic of the author's complex philosophical commentary on the idea of the American dream but also effectively engage the reader into the discussion. The change of narrator emphasizes the duality of America. The speaker and also the poet believes that: We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
Everyone bears some kind of a burden, all are shackled. Of take the pay! Specifically he uses a device called Hughes uses the next series of repetitions to emphasize the identity of the speaker of the poem, stating over and over "I am" and then lists all the various groups of oppressed people that the narrator represents such as poor whites, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, farmers, and factory workers. Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— 3. This unique perspective is what allows Hughes to escape the confines of the somewhat limiting term "protest" poetry. A land where everyone is free, not only in a political or societal context, but also free from exploitation, greed and all the other human foibles which have become so commonplace.
📗 Literary Analysis Essay on "Let America be America again"
He makes a litany of what the shortcomings of America are. In both the metaphor and the simile, Hughes also uses Another literary device that Langston Hughes uses in his poem "Let America Be America Again" is change of voice or narrator. America has problems, many of them deep-seated. Westover notes: "In his poem, Hughes deploys a dual discourse in order to express the contradictory meanings of America and to enrich those meanings with a sense of the word's critical possibilities. As the writer, Hughes represents every man, woman, worker, and race whose ''sweat and blood, faith and pain,'' have helped to build America and must continue to do so.
