FREE ESSAY ON LANGSTON HUGHES

LANGSTON HUGHES

Langston Hughes was one of the greatest poets that ever lived. He had a unique way of
writing his poetry, and his diction varied from poem to poem. His poems ranged from short
and sweet, too more detailed and in depth. After reading some of his poetry I find you
are able to understand what he want's you to understand very easily. This is one of the
factors why I enjoyed his poetry so much. Even though some of his poems were only a few
lines, they portray much meaning and emotion.
It seems to me that Langston Hughes after one thing in most of his writings, equality.
After reading his poems from the handout I can see where he is coming from. He grew up in
a time where people practiced segregation and prejudice. Furthermore growing in the
streets of Harlem didn't help much either. The city was the center for most of the racial
and ethnic problems took place. You can tell that some of it reflects in his writings. 
It is easy to tell that Langston Hughes was a dreamer. He dreamed of equality, he dreamed
of peace, and most of all he dreamed of change. Change of times, people, and attitudes.
In his poem "Dreams" I felt a strong sense of emotion. "Hold fast to dreams for if dreams
die Life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot 
fly." That is such a powerful stanza, never let go of your dreams or your feelings,
because when they are gone your life is not worth living. This simile shows how much he
cherished life, and how important it was to follow your beliefs.
"Dream Deferred" also stressed how important dreams were and to never let them vanish. He
is trying to say if you have a dream don't lose it because you might think no one else
believes in it. Hold on to it even tighter, because that is what make's it yours. He is
indicating a sense of free will, which is a major part of equality. Throughout the poem
you find many similes describing a deferred dream. All of them are gross and morbid. The
worst possible outcome came in the last line, "Or does it explode?" Don't let your dreams
or feelings reach this point.
"The Dream Keeper" also stressed how important dreams are. Bring all of your thoughts and
dreams to him for save keeping, because down here on earth there is too much violence and
prejudice. "Away from the too rough fingers of the world." It's too violent here and many
people are in search of the wrong things in life. You need to be happy with whom you are
and love others for that same reason.
All of his poems served as a great resource in his time, and to present day. Without his
poetry many people would not have realized what is going on in this country and around
the world. His poems spoke for the feelings of thousands of 
inner city people who were in hunt for equality themselves. Langston Hughes helped this
society little by little with every poem he wrote. It is easy to tell that Langston
served as a role model to many people and future writers. Without people like him this
country would not be where it is today.