15
The Mosaic Volume 1 · Fall 2010
The Mosaic Volume 1 · Fall 2010
2 The Mosaic
Letter from the Editors
Dear Reader,
The Mosaic is a metaphor referring to how the different elements of multicultural lit-
erature have affected the spiritualism, culture, identity, and language of our society. In
this publication, we have tried to consider the emotional, mental, and physical journey
of the immigrants who have contributed to society, impacting the values, morals, families
and traditions of our multicultural nation. Our society is a mosaic of so many peoples,
cultures, traditions, and languages making up one great whole.
The articles within this journal were chosen for literary merit and attests to the influ-
ence and value of multicultural American literature. As chance would have it, both arti-
cles focus on the great Harlem Renaissance poet Langston Hughes. Notice the
journeys of social recognition, identity, and literary voice the African-American peo-
ple had to go through, as represented by Hughes. Hughes’ commitment to the “New
Negro” movement made a huge impact on multicultural American literature. It helped re
-define what American literature encompasses.
We hope that you will experience a deepening and expansion of previous scholarly in-
vestigation into this great writer’s life and literary contribution to our society’s mosaic.
As Mr. Hughes has said, “"Oh, God of Dust and Rainbows, / Help us to see /
That without the dust the rainbow / Would not be."
Jennifer Schultz, Editor in Chief
Lori Jackson—Formalist Literary Analysis Editor
Courtney Haueter—Theory-based Analysis Editor
Melissa Walker—Research Editor
A Look into Multicultural Literature 3
IN THIS ISSUE
“Was it Worth it?” 4 by Meredith Duffy
“Dreams of a New Black Identity” 8 by Rachel Lauritzen
4 The Mosaic
“L et America Be America Again” by Langston
Hughes, ventures to define the concept of
“America” by identifying who and what America
is. As the speaker of the poem assumes various identities,
America is illustrated as a dream created by individuals of di-
verse exploited cultures. While America symbolizes freedom,
that personified dream has yet to reach the oppressed; their
voice, heard through imagery, speaks out against the irony of
their sacrifices only to profit someone else.
In the title of the poem “Let America Be America Again,” the first “America” refers to the land and
nation; however the second use of “America” is a metonym for freedom. As the title phrase is repeated
throughout the work, it draws more emphasis as the symbol is further developed. The first stanzas of
the poem more specifically define America as the dream of freedom; “Let [America] be the pioneer on
the plain / Seeking a home where he himself is free” (lines 2-4). This definition of freedom, as symbol-
ized by America, is further explained in lines 62-64, “O, let America be America again-- / The land that
never has been yet-- / And yet it must be-- / the land where every man is free.” According to this depic-
tion, freedom must embrace every man in order for the dream to be realized.
Abstract beliefs and qualities, such as the dream of freedom, are
given life through personification. There are two major effects per-
sonification can have: defamiliarizing objects thus encouraging close
reading, and making abstract ideas tangible concepts, ones that seem
within reach. As the speaker of the poem states, “I am the farmer,
bondsman to the soil,” the farmer becomes the property of the soil
and the soil is now the master (line 31). Customarily it is the farmer
who bends the will of the soil, but now his life must conform to the
needs of the soil in order to provide. Likewise, the speaker states, “I
am the worker sold to the machine,” urging consideration on the
ways a worker can be purchased and owned by machinery (line 32).
As survival becomes dependant on the machine, the worker is at its
mercy, and must do whatever the machine needs to ensure a living.
Soil and the machine are both synecdoches for industry and labor.
Hughes reverses the humanity in the machine and soil, personifying
metal and earthen objects into identities with purchasing and exploit-
ive powers, to exemplify how it is possible for so many to be captives
in the “homeland of the of the free” (line16).
penhittingpaper.com
“Was it Worth it?” By Meredith Duffy
Synechdoche-noun \sə-ˈnek-də-(ˌ)kē\
: a figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (as society for high society), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (as a creature
for a man), or the name of the mate-rial for the thing made (as boards for
stage) Origin: Latin, from Greek synekdochē, from syn- + ekdochē
sense, interpretation, from ek-dechesthai to receive, understand,
from ex from + dechesthai to receive; akin to Greek dokein to seem good.
First Known Use: 15th century.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
A Look into Multicultural Literature 5
Another key concept personified throughout the poem is “the dream.” It has previously been
established that the dream represents freedom for all; however by portraying the dream as a living en-
tity, the reader can experience the dream. This experience comes through considering how a dream is
born, how it is nurtured and grows, and even how it can die. A dream is born as it is imagined in the
mind of its believer, despite the surrounding circumstances. The speaker of the poem declares, “I‟m the
one who dreamt our basic dream / In the Old World while still a serf of kings,” (lines 39-40). Yet the
dream must be nurtured to grow, and as the dream spreads it becomes, “so strong, so brave, so true, /
That even yet its mighty daring sings” (lines 41-42). On the contrary, if the dream is a living organism
it can also die. According to line 61, “the dream [is] almost dead today.” It is dying because of the
“ruin” and “rot” of society (lines 80-81). The speaker advocates keeping the dream alive by redeeming
the land from corruption and creating a nation where every being is truly free (lines 80-82).
In addition to personification, metaphors are also used to facilitate
understanding to an abstract or conceptual idea by comparing it to a
more familiar object. These devices of defamiliarization are seen as
Liberty is “crowned with no false patriotic wreath” (lines 11-12)
and “Equality is in the air we breathe” (line 14). A crowned Liberty
alludes to Lady Liberty, a physical symbol of freedom. Meanwhile
Equality, as a life essential element that permeates throughout the
atmosphere, would be available to all creatures; as unprejudiced as
air. The speaker declares that America should contain both liberty
and equality; America should be a place where, “opportunity is real,
and life is free” (line 13).
Hughes emphasizes the oppression and exploitation in the existing America, as well as the joy in the
dream America, through imagery, by creating a sensory experience the reader will remember. The ex-
perience can be auditory, visual, or even a physical feeling caused by the image. The bold song of the
dream can be heard as, “its mighty daring sings / In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned /
That‟s made America the land it has become” (lines 42-44). The intensity of the experience grows as
the song is heard and the beat is felt resonating within the buildings, echoing throughout the land. By
way of imagery, the speaker is able to convey his wish for freedom to not only be heard and felt across
the nation, but to be the very building blocks of society.
The speaker of the poem also uses imagery to illuminate the wrongs of society. Dishonorable behaviors
and attitudes are seen as the speaker depicts a “young man, full of strength and hope. / Tangled in that
ancient endless chain / Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land! / Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of
satisfying need! / Of work the men! Of take the pay! / Of owning everything for one‟s own
greed!” (lines 25-27). The illustration creates tension by shackling the strong youth with endless tor-
ment inflicted by all the corruption and greed of society. The speaker also shows exploitation of the
Liberty2.bmp coursesite.uhcl.edu
6 The Mosaic
land and its people by speaking out against, “those who live like leeches on the people‟s lives” (line 72).
The use of a tangible image (life-sucking leeches) deepens the speaker‟s message of freedom and equal-
ity as the autocrats of society are degraded to parasitic freeloaders.
Imagery can also cause tension as images are dark and foreboding. Such tension is created as the speaker
illustrates, “Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,/ The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and
lies” (lines 80-81). The choice of words plays a significant role in the effect of the passage; “rack” in-
vokes a physical tension, while “rot” causes the nose to cringe with disgust. The pain and rot that society
creates is a feeling both grotesque and sinister. The tension is relieved as the speaker depicts “The land,
the mines, the plants, the rivers./ The mountains and the endless plain--/ All, all the stretch of these great
green states--/ And make America again!” (lines 83-86). It is a picture of a brighter future that must be
redeemed by the people. Each individual resource of America is represented, the land, plants, rivers,
mountains, like pieces to a puzzle. As the images are brought together, an expanse of “great green
states,” the physical unity demonstrates the unity of freedom the speaker can only dream of.
Perhaps the most compelling image created from words in this text, is that of the individual. The speaker
assumes different identities as he states, “I am the one who left dark Ireland‟s shore, and Poland‟s plain,
and England‟s grassy lea, and torn from Black Africa‟s strand I came” (lines 47-49). Tension is created
and intensified as the speaker introduces a dark image (the dark Ireland shore), moves to light (the Polish
plain and English lea), and counteracts with an even darker image (Black Africa‟s strand). This technique
solidifies the experience as it gives a face to each persona. The image, combined with the collective “I”s
voiced throughout the poem, creates individuals so authentic society must acknowledge their existence.
A voice is finally given to the ignored cultures of society.
From title to closing, irony is seeped into every word and phrase of this poem. Specifically, cosmic irony,
also known as irony of fate, is repeated throughout the work. Cosmic irony occurs when a character does
not deserve the consequences he receives; or in this poem, he doesn‟t receive what he most deserves. The
repetition of irony emphasizes the injustice illuminated by the speaker. One such example is that of the
pioneer, “Seeking a home where he himself is free” (line 4).
This line exemplifies irony of fate because the pioneer seeks
what everyone deserves but cannot be found in the existing
America, a place of refuge and independence. Another case of
cosmic irony is seen as the speaker voices, “(America never
was America to me.)” (line5); “(It never was America to
me.)” (line 10); “(There‟s never been equality for me, Nor
freedom in this “homeland of the free.”) (lines 15-16). The
phrases contained in the parenthesis are similar to a theatrical
aside, except these words are meant to be heard. As society
questions who it is “that mumbles in the dark,” it is obvious
they are not tuning their ears to hear what the speaker is saying http://www.biblehelp.org/prochoice.htm
A Look into Multicultural Literature 7
Works Cited
Hughes, Langston. “Let America Be America Again.” American Literature. Ed. William E. Cain.
Vol.2. San Francisco: Longman, 2004. 688-689. Print.
(line17). The irony of the situation is that the speaker, by way of parenthesis, is the one pointing out his
lack of audience. Moving forward, the speaker removes the parenthesis enabling his voice to be heard;
he demands the attention of the audience (society) to listen to his dream of freedom.
One particular stanza in the poem represents numerous cultures who are victims of cosmic irony: “Who
said the free? Not me? / Surely not me? The millions on relief today? / The millions shot down when
we strike? / The millions who have nothing for our pay?” (lines 52-55). These people deserve much
more than what is given them; “For all the dreams we‟ve dreamed / And all the songs we‟ve sung /
And all the hopes we‟ve held / And all the flags we‟ve hung, / The millions who have nothing for our
pay-- / Except the dream that‟s almost dead today” (lines 56-61). The irony exists as the millions who
build and protect America are the same who are denied the freedom it promises. The population most
violently effected by this injustice is that of the slaves, “torn from Black Africa‟s strand… To build a
„homeland of the free‟” (line 49). These are the only people physically and brutally forced to come to
America; the only people made literal slaves and forced to build a
better life for everyone but themselves.
Dramatic irony makes its rare yet crucial appearance on two occa-
sions. The first occurs as the speaker declares, “Yet I‟m the one who
dreamt our basic dream” (line 39). The speaker imagined a land
where everyone is free; and yet he, the creator of the dream, is left
out. The speaker emphasizes this exclusion as, perhaps, the cruelest
irony. Finally, the most influential example of irony exists in two
lines, “O, let America be America again-- / The land that never has
been yet--” (lines 62-63). The speaker is trying to awaken the people,
help them to realize that the dream they started to build has yet to be
finished. They veered off course, created a place they did not intend,
and now they must make the corrections. There is hope, and the re-
ward is a home that is truly free.
Although the dream of America has yet to be realized, the speaker of the poem has provided a strong
argument to continue the fight for freedom. A dream has been defined and represented, a voice given
to the previously overlooked cultures, and hope has been restored. The dream is very much alive, and
in time the injustices will be corrected and the dream will become a reality. It will all be worth it in
the and.
http://iron.lcc.gatech.edu/~ntrivedi6/blog/?
8 The Mosaic
“Dreams of a New
Black Identity” By Rachel Lauritzen
“D uring the 1920s-1930s a cultural
movement occurred that became
known as the Harlem Renaissance,
also known as the “New Negro” movement (Fine
33). African Americans were in search of a new
identity and a new home away from the South,
where they had faced years of cruel persecution
and oppression. What may have only started as a
dream became a reality for blacks as they jour-
neyed to freedom and a new identity, many land-
ing in the New York City neighborhood of Har-
lem. The purpose of my research is to help others
understand the powerful influence of one particu-
lar poet, Langston Hughes, who helped shape the
dreams of African Americans along their journey
for a new black identity. Hughes is one of the most celebrated and controversial voices in overcoming the
black identity conflict (Hughes, Rampersad, and Roeselle 3). He portrayed black culture in a way that would
shatter stereotypes and prove both the emotional and intellectual intelligence of African Americans. Through
the study of Hughes‟ life and literature, one may better understand the impact and legacy he not only left on
the Harlem Renaissance, but the world.
The Life of Langston Hughes from Birth to the Harlem Renaissance
February 1st, 1902, James Langston Hughes was born to the parents of Carrie Mercer Langston and James Na-
thaniel Hughes in Joplin, Missouri (Berry 1). His parents were both of mixed ethnicities, so Hughes himself
was of African American, European American, and Native American descent. During his early childhood his
parents divorced and his father moved to Mexico. His mother traveled to find work and left Hughes in the
hands of his maternal grandmother Mary Patterson Langston, in Lawrence, Kansas. He stayed with his grand-
mother until the age of thirteen, at which time he moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with his mother who had
remarried. In his youth he lived in six different American cities before the family later settled in Cleveland
Ohio, where Hughes would attend high school (Poetry Foundation). His interest in poetry and writing was
sparked his sophomore year and greatly encouraged by his English teacher Miss Ethel Weimer, who recog-
nized immense talent and potential in Hughes (Berry 15-16).
At age 17, in the spring of 1919, Hughes received an invitation from his father to visit Mexico for the summer
(Berry 18). Much to his mother‟s dismay, for she was afraid he wouldn‟t return, Hughes went, but found grave
disappointment in his father‟s racism and obsession with wealth and materialism. Hughes and his father could
not have been more different, as the elder Hughes “had no human warmth [and] permitted himself no display
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/demographics/20080827/5/2620
Harlem, 1943
A Look into Multicultural Literature 9
of affection.” Not to mention the elder Hughes felt a “deep revulsion” for American blacks and Mexican Indi-
ans, to the point of “despising and hating” them for their “dismal poverty and powerlessness” (Poetry Founda-
tion); (Berry 19). Hughes‟ heart on the other hand, had a huge capacity to love people of all backgrounds, es-
pecially blacks. Hughes was sensitive to the “downtrodden and the poor,” and his sensitivity translated to his
writing. Hoyt W. Fuller, a leading figure of the Black Arts movement said of Langston Hughes:
The key to Langston Hughes . . . was the poet's deceptive and profound simplicity. Profound
because it was both willed and ineffable, because some intuitive sense even at the beginning of
his adulthood taught him that humanity was of the essence and that it existed undiminished in
all shapes, sizes, colors and conditions. Violations of that humanity offended his unshakable
conviction that mankind is possessed of the divinity of God. (Poetry Foundation)
Upon graduating from high school in 1920, Hughes‟ life journey took him to new places where his love for
people and cultures grew. He spent a year in Mexico with his father
before attending Columbia University. During this time he held jobs
ranging from cook, launderer, busboy, to seaman which took him to
Africa and Europe from 1923-1924 (The Academy of American Po-
ets). He then moved to Washington D.C., in 1925 to spend the year
with his mother. While living there he made important connections
with publishers; at which point, Hughes‟ literary career had reached
a huge milestone. In 1926 two of Hughes‟ most well known works
were published: his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was pub-
lished by Alfred A Knopf, and his famous essay, “The Negro Artist
and the Racial Mountain” was published in the The Nation (Hughes,
Rampersad, and Roeselle 9). By 1929 he had seen the world
(Mexico, West Africa, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Holland,
France, Italy), held various positions to make ends meet, formed new
political opinions, and was making his dream of becoming an Afri-
can-American writer come true (Poetry Foundation). The year 1929
also marked the completion of Hughes‟ college education at Lincoln
University in Pennsylvania (Academy of American Poets). Shortly
thereafter, Hughes followed the cultural movement to New York
City, where his permanent residence became Harlem, but he spent many years traveling and writing before the
duration of his life (Hughes, Rampersad, and Roeselle 10-20).
History of the Harlem Renaissance
In order to understand the impact Hughes‟ written works had on the black identity journey, it is pertinent to
Hughes as a busboy, 1925
http://www.corbisimages.com/Enlargement/BE076481.html
10 The Mosaic
have a deeper understanding of the history of the time, as well as a greater comprehension of the “New Negro”
movement in Harlem. First, the Great Migration occurred between 1910 and 1940, in which time nearly seven
million African Americans migrated from the Southern United States to metropolis cities such as Chicago,
Philadelphia, Cleveland, and New York City (The Harlem Renaissance). With World War One underway,
there was a high demand for industrial labor between 1916-1918 in the North, so most of the African Ameri-
can migrants were in search of work and freedom from racial oppression in the South. The “Negro” middle
class was expanding extensively, especially in the Harlem community of New York City. What was once an
“exclusive suburb for the white middle and upper middle classes, with stately houses, grand avenues and
amenities” was abandoned by the whites and became an African American neighborhood in the early 1900s
(The Harlem Renaissance).
Next, one must learn how the movement began and with whom it
began. The efforts to create a new black identity originated and were
centered in Harlem. Hubert Harrison was deemed the “Father of Har-
lem Radicalism” because he is responsible for founding “The New
Negro Movement” or Harlem Renaissance. Great strides were taken
between the year 1916-1917 with the origination of the first organi-
zation (The Liberty League) and newspaper (The Voice) of the Ren-
aissance; both focused mainly on political equality. During this time
African Americans faced their identity conflict with fervor, differen-
tiating between the “Old Negro” and the “New Negro.” The term the
“New Negro” was coined by Alain Locke for his work editing an
anthology of African American art and literature entitled The New
Negro: A Interpretation, considered the “definitive work of the
movement,” not to be confused with another eminent piece he edited
for the Survey Graphic entitled “„Harlem: Mecca of the New Negro,‟
which served both to codify and to launch a second New Negro liter-
ary movement” (Gates 147). This movement would redefine, or reconstruct the black
identity through the arts, specifically literature.
Locke„s New Negro was defined by Henry Louis Gates Jr., as a poet. Gates explained that it “would be in the
sublimity of the fine arts, and not in the political sphere of action or protest poetry, that white America (they
thought) would at last embrace the Negro of 1925, a Negro ahistorical, a Negro who was „just like‟ every other
American, a Negro more deserving than the Old Negro because he had been reconstructed as an entity some-
how „new‟” (Gates 147). Locke‟s “New Negro” was Langston Hughes. In fact, it was said that “if Alain
Locke who coined the phrase „the New Negro,‟ was the mentor, the young Langston Hughes, „the most racial
of the Negro poets,‟ was the prophet of the „Negro Renaissance‟” (Feuser 293). This was due to the fact that
Hughes was not afraid, nor ashamed to express himself freely as a black artist (Feuser 293). The journey for a
new identity was a continual process for blacks, especially for “black artist[s] in America” (Fine 33).
robertarood.wordpress.com
Alain Locke
A Look into Multicultural Literature 11
Hughes’ Literary Mission
While still a student at Lincoln University, Hughes wrote “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain,” what
has been considered his “landmark essay, seen by many as a cornerstone document articulation of the Harlem
renaissance” (The Poetry Foundation). The focus of his essay and primary mission in writing it was the need
for black artists to remain true to their black identities, in the face of white demands. From his essay, it reads:
One of the most promising of the young Negro poets said to me once, “I want to be a poet—not
a Negro poet,” meaning, I believe, “I want to write like a white poet”; meaning subconsciously,
“I would like to be a white poet”; meaning behind that, “I would like to be white.” And I was
sorry the young man said that, for no great poet has ever been afraid of being himself. And I
doubted then that, with his desire to run away spiritually from his race, this boy would ever be a
great poet. But this is the mountain standing in the way of any true Negro art in America—this
urge within the race toward whiteness, the desire to pour racial individuality into the mold of
American standardization, and to be as little Negro and as much American as possible. (Poetry
Foundation)
Hughes poured his heart and soul into his writing. This particular essay, with all the honesty and sincerity of
heart, served as a “cultural manifesto for many of the younger writers of that same Renaissance” (Jones1152).
His ability to portray “a deep understanding of the Negro heart” is just one element that elevates his work
above that of others during his time (Jones 1152).
If there was one difference between Hughes and other African-American writers of the Renaissance, it was
that Hughes never tried to be somebody else, or to represent somebody else in his writing. He was always him-
self, and he wrote for the people, his people. Others “sought to erase their received racist image in the Western
imagination, they also erased their racial selves, imitating those they least resembled [whites] in demonstrating
the full intellectual potential of the black mind” (Gates 148). Hughes demonstrated the potential of the black
mind without sacrificing his voice or his being. In fact, he was proud of his heritage and his race, even the
“ugly” parts. His purpose was not to please whites, and he wasn‟t bothered by blacks who disliked him either.
In his essay he declared, “We know we are beautiful. And ugly too . . . We build our temples for tomorrow,
strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves” (Poetry Foundation). The
purpose of his literary mission during the Harlem Renaissance period was to instill confidence and pride in his
race and to buoy them up.
While Hughes focused on beauty and freedom within, many intellectuals, including New Negros, dwelled on
the features of the race. For example:
Its collective mouth shape and lip size, the shape of its head (which especially concerned phre-
nologists at the turn of the century), its black skin color, its kinky hair—had been caricatured
and stereotyped so severely in popular American art that black intellectuals seemed to feel that
nothing less than a full facelift and a complete break with the enslaved past could ameliorate the
social conditions of the modern black person. While this concern with features would imply a
visual or facial priority of concern, it was, rather, the precise structure and resonance of the
12 The Mosaic
black voice by which the very face of the race would be known and fundamentally recon-
structed. (Gates 143)
The literary renaissance of the New Negro Movement was brought to pass “both to contain and to develop this
black voice” (Gates 143). On one hand, the features of the black identity were being scrutinized, while on the
other hand, Hughes gave “character of beauty and power to the literary utterance of the race,” (Gates 144). He
loved his people and described their beauty in his poem, “My People.” Using metaphorical language he com-
pared his people to nature. He described their faces, their eyes, and their souls as beautiful; just as the night,
the stars, and the sun are beautiful (Hughes, Rampersad, and Roessel 36). Hughes was a “representative of and
for African Americans,” and his poetry was a powerful tool that served to bring him and his people together
(Jones1152-53).
Hughes’ Literary contribution to the Black Identity Journey
The Harlem Renaissance was one of the most influential time periods in our nation‟s history. Between the
years 1924 and 1929 African-American literature boomed, providing an outlet for creativity, growth, and ex-
pression that would unarguably change the way all people perceived the African-American identity. Of the lit-
erary outpouring at the time, James Weldon Johnson, an inspirational advocate of the Harlem Renaissance ex-
plained, “[We] hailed with loud huzzas the dawn of the Negro literary millennium. We expected much; per-
haps too much. I now judge that we ought to be thankful for the half a dozen young writers who did emerge
and make a place for themselves” (Walking Tour: Harlem 1926). Among those young writers who did emerge
and make a place for themselves, Langston Hughes was one of them, and perhaps one of the greatest literary
driving forces of the Harlem Renaissance.
Hughes‟ writing style could be described as “intensely subjective, passionate, keenly sensitive to beauty and
possessing an unfaltering musical sense” (Poetry Foundation). A “hallmark feature” of his poetry is the black
vernacular speech that he uses to depict vivid “images and energies “of the Harlem Renaissance as well as
other historical events. (Jones 1145). He creates “depth and texture” in his poetry which yields a real sense of
“Harlem life” (Jones 1152-53). All of his writing illustrates the “beauty, strength, and power” of Negro people,
and “he chose to do so on their own level, on their own terms” (Poetry Foundation). His artistry lies in the
messages and themes of his prose and poetry. Hughes is probably most famous for his “signature dream motif”
which largely contributed to the black‟s identity journey (Jones1149)..
Hughes made his dreams a priority all his life. In so doing, he held fast to the dreams of his people and encour-
aged them to do the same. In his poem entitled, “Dreams,” he warned his people of what would happen if they
let their dreams die. Again using metaphorical language he compares life without dreams to “a broken-winged
bird that cannot fly,” and “a barren field frozen with snow” (Hughes, Rampersad, Roessel 32). Thus, life with-
out dreams would be meaningless and empty. The dream motif gave people a necessary hope and desire for
peace and equality in life, especially in America.
It is apparent through Hughes‟ writing that he held his own dreams and the dreams of his people, including
that of a place in society, very sacred. This is especially noticeable in his poem, “The Dream Keeper,” in
A Look into Multicultural Literature 13
which he esteems himself to be the keeper of dreams, in order to protect the “heart melodies” from the “too-
rough fingers of the world” (Hughes, Rampersad, Roessel 45). Hughes knew from experience how quickly the
world would be to criticize, belittle, or even discourage the dreams of his people. Hence, he wanted to protect
them from any beatings or bruising the world may inflict upon them, and melodically welcome their hearts‟
desires to a safer consign.
His poem, “Harlem,” later renamed, “A Dream Deferred,” became the most popular of all under this motif. To
defer a dream means to “postpone, put off for a time, or delay” (Oxford English Dictionary). Once more
Hughes earnestly asks his people to consider the importance of dreams, this time in a questioning tone:
Harlem
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
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? (Poetry Foundation)
The power this poem displays comes from its simplicity, which critics often criticized Hughes for (Hughes,
Rampersad, Roeselle 3). Harlem was the center of dreams during the New Negro movement, and the dream of
a new black identity was slowly emerging for African Americans in the 1920s. Even still, life in Harlem, as in
all metropolis cities would be hard as blacks searched for freedom, peace, and solace. Hughes depicted the
“hopes, the aspirations, the frustrations, and the deep seeded discontent” of a people who dreamed of greater
equality and self-identity (Davis 283).
Most of the average black public praised him for his work, but there were those, black and white, that didn‟t
care for his style or his messages. Much of Hughes‟ writing during the Harlem Renaissance was criticized by
black intellectuals for portraying “an unattractive view of black life.” Hughes‟ style was distinctly his own be-
cause of his directness and ability to tell it like it is (Poetry Foundation). One critic noted that, “Langston
Hughes never sought to be all things to all people but rather aimed to create a body of work that epitomized the
beauty and variety of the African American and the American experiences, as well as the diversity of emo-
tions, thoughts, and dreams that he saw common to all human beings” (Hughes, Rampersad, Roessel 3).
Hughes‟ journey in life led him to see the humanness in all people, and to create work that not only spoke to
African Americans at a time of deep soul searching, but to a world of people who could all benefit from his
creative endeavors and dreams. Of his career it was said, “On the whole, Hughes‟ creative life was as full, as
varied, and as original as Picasso‟s, a joyful, honest monument of a career. There was no noticeable sham in it,
no pretension, no self-deceit; but a great, great deal of delight and smiling irresistible wit” (Poetry Founda-
pagestopixels.com
14 The Mosaic
tion). Hughes was undeniably “a cultural icon of Harlem” and a noted “literary ambassador” for his work dur-
ing the Harlem Renaissance (Jones 1170).
Conclusion
The Harlem Renaissance came to a bellowing end with the onset of The Great Depression, but the effects of
the movement would be felt forever. As blacks were able to embrace their recreated identity, and everything
that came with it, the black culture was able to establish its place in society, and so too did African-American
literature. Most importantly, the Renaissance of the 20s set the stage for the civil rights movement of the 50s
and 60s (The Harlem Renaissance). Today one can still see and feel the effects of Hughes‟ poetry on society as
excerpts “travel from the geographic space of the page to a wide variety of socio-cultural locations,” such as:
“the walls of a building, airport or museum display,” or the placard
above passengers‟ heads while riding a New York City Subway train
Hughes‟ words have moved beyond the space of “poetry” to art all
around us (Jones 1170).
T. Thomas Fortune‟s argued that “the capacity of a race is largely
measured by the achievements of its writers, in whom its natural vigor
and perspicuity of intellect, its highest moral revelations and its most
delicate and beautiful emotions should reach consummation” (Gates
146). Let it be known that Hughes fulfilled Fortune‟s argument and
represented his race with integrity. His achievements are many and his
literary legacy is long lasting. He wrote with vigor, he demonstrated
intellect, and he certainly spewed some of the most revelatory pieces
that this world could ever imagine. Hughes held sacred the “delicate
and beautiful” emotions of his race, and profoundly let them trickle on in the form of poems and prose. He
strikingly signified his presence in the arts; furthermore, in the hearts, heads, and ears of dreamers in Harlem
and beyond (Gates 146).
biography.com
Works Cited
Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes, before and Beyond Harlem. New York, New York: Carol Publishing, 1992.
Google Scholar. Web. 5 Dec 2010.
Davis, Arthur P. "The Harlem of Langston Hughes' Poetry." Phylon (1940-1956) 13.4 (1952): pp. 276-283.
Print.
Feuser, W. F. "Afro-American Literature and Negritude." Comparative Literature 28.4 (1976): pp. 289-308.
Print.
Fine, Elsa Honig. "The Afro-American Artist: A Search for Identity." Art Journal 29.1 (1969): pp. 32-35.
Print.
Gates, Henry Louis,Jr. "The Trope of a New Negro and the Reconstruction of the Image of the Black." Repre-
sentations.24, Special Issue: America Reconstructed, 1840-1940 (1988): pp. 129-155. print.
"Harlem Renaissance." Wikipedia. 10 Dec 2010.Web. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. <http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Harlem_Renaissance>.
"The Harlem Reniassance." 2010.Web. <http://www.biography.com/blackhistory/harlem-renaissance.jsp#thr>.
A Look into Multicultural Literature 15
Hughes, Langston, Ed. Rampersad, Arnold, Roessel, David. The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes. First
Vintage Classics ed. New York, New York: Vintage Books a division of Random House, 1995. Google
Scholar. Web. Dec 2010.
"Langston Hughes." Poets.org from the Academy of American Poets. 2010.Web. Poets.org. googlescholar.
<http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83>.
"Langston Hughes Biography." Poetry Foundation. 2010.Web. <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/
langston-hughes>.
Meta, DuEwa Jones. "Listening to what the Ear Demands: Langston Hughes and His Critics." Callaloo, 25.4
(2002): 1144-75. Web.
