Imagine a dream, shimmering and bright, promising opportunity and equality, only to find it obscured by the harsh realities of racial injustice and systemic barriers. Langston Hughes's poignant poem, "As I Grew Older," dissects the elusive American Dream, revealing the chasm between its idealistic promise and the lived experiences of Black Americans. Through vivid metaphors and stark imagery, Hughes chronicles the crushing weight of discrimination, a suffocating darkness that threatens to extinguish hope and stifle aspirations. This powerful exploration delves into the contradictions inherent in the American narrative, questioning the nation's commitment to liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for all. The poem unveils the insidious ways in which racism undermines the very foundations of the American Dream, creating a society where equality remains an unfulfilled promise for many. Hughes masterfully employs stylistic devices such as metaphor, repetition, and stark contrasts to amplify the emotional impact of his message, forcing readers to confront the uncomfortable truths about race and inequality in America. The yearning for freedom and the struggle against oppression echo throughout the verses, culminating in a fervent call for change and a desperate plea to shatter the walls of prejudice. Hughes's work serves as a timeless reminder of the ongoing fight for civil rights and the urgent need to dismantle the systemic barriers that prevent marginalized communities from fully realizing their dreams. It questions whether the "can-do attitude" can ever truly flourish when an individual is unable to live up to their own nature. Explore the depths of Hughes's critique, uncover the historical context that shaped his perspective, and reflect on the enduring relevance of his message in contemporary society. Consider the role of government and the concept of guaranteed rights, and how the absence of equality impacts the pursuit of happiness. The poem serves as a historical reference to figures like Martin Luther King, highlighting the continuous struggle for equality. Discover the power of Hughes's words and their enduring impact on the American consciousness, this is a call for change, a demonstration against government, and a cry for freedom. Experience the raw emotion and unflinching honesty of a poet who dared to challenge the status quo and demand a more just and equitable society for all. Dive into the heart of the American Dream and confront the shadows that lurk beneath its glittering surface, and consider whether the dream is truly accessible to all, or if it remains an illusion for those who are marginalized and oppressed.
The American Dream: Langston Hughes
Thema II: The American Dream: Langston Hughes
1. In his poem "As I grew older" Langston Hughes depicts a very negative image of the notion "American Dream". The poet metaphorizes his own experiences of racial discrimination and thus also his experiences containing the reality of the American Dream in four steps that can be outwardly seen as four stanzas.
In the first stanza of his poem, that serves the function of an introduction, Hughes refers to his original positive image of the American Dream. Stanzas two and four deal with the reality of the American Dream, with the fact that its opposite is often the truth. The last stanza somehow rounds off Hughes' image, it contains the attempt of trying to escape from the dark sides of the American Dream, if necessary with the help of violence, but this attempt often ends in failing and not reaching the aim or the origin of the American Dream completely.
2. The poem "As I grew older" by Langston Hughes contains many contradictions between its subject and the Declaration of Independence. One main aspect, the poet tries to deliver, is the discrimination of coloured people living in America nowadays. The Declaration of Independence offers all people living in America certain unalienable and God-given rights. Liberty and individual rights shall be guaranteed for everybody. The poem expresses the opposite. By regarding the second and the third stanza, you can easily read between the lines that all these personal rights, such as "life", "liberty" and the "pursuit of happiness", are not valid for all people living in America, the so-called nation of unlimited possibilities. Not all Americans live up to the law, that is also expressed in the Declaration of Independence. It seems as if Langston Hughes really had to suffer from discrimination and racism. All his hopes and his dreams have been covered by these problems, he could not really live the American Dream. This main aspect that can be found in the Declaration of Independence has also been expressed by Martin Luther King. A historical reference to Martin Luther King can be seen in the last stanza. ("My hands! Break... wall!", ll. 26/27) Langston Hughes tries to break out of this system, he somehow tries to overcome all his problems, the nation's problems, exactly as Martin Luther King did. The guaranteed rights of liberty and life are thus not valid for all Americans. "Pursuit of happiness" is also not fulfilled. The Declaration of Independence promises this right, but how can anybody live a happy life being discriminated by people living in his own country? The "can-do-attitude" also fades: One important aspect of the American Dream is having this pioneers' spirit, having a very strong will to reach all imaginable aims. Sadly, this "can-do-attitude" fades if somebody isn't even able to live up to his own nature. (ll. 15-17: "The light of... wall.") These aspects are the reasons why Langston Hughes criticizes the American nation and thus the American Dream so heavily. He wants to be "free at last", as Martin Luther King expressed it in his address "I have a Dream".
3. The poem "As I grew older", written by Langston Hughes teems with stylistic devices, such as alliterations, chiasm, comparisons, caesura, opposites, enumerations, metaphors, anaphoras, epiphoras, personal pronouns, historical references, a paratactical sentence structure and parallelism.
A very important stylistic device that can only be seen by regarding the whole poem is the paratactical sentence structure. With these easy sentences Langston Hughes tries to make his poem readable for everybody. He tries to convey his idea in a way that everybody is able to understand. This paratactical sentence structure sometimes even has elliptical references (l 21: "No longer the... me"). Maybe the poet uses these elliptical sentences to deliver the message to all the readers that something is missing in his life as an American. Thus he puts emphasis on the fact that not all Americans have the same God-given rights and that not all Americans live up to their original creed, they only claim to do so. Another very important stylistic device is the use of the personal pronouns "me" and "my". Langston Hughes uses them to serve as an example of all coloured people living in America. This poem could be valid for all coloured Americans in the same way. Langston Hughes uses very many comparisons and metaphors to put stress on his message. For example, the use of the comparison "Bright like a sun" (l 6) shows the importance of the American Dream for the poet, not only the comparison points out this importance, but the use of the bright vowels existing in the words "bright" and "like" intensifies the urgency of his statement. The key-word "dream" metaphorizes the hope Hughes once had and the importance the American Dream still has for him. Several metaphors can be seen by reading the poem. Hughes uses the word "wall" (l. 8) as the metaphorical equivalent for hopelessness. All his hopes, he once had, finally faded and got lost behind this huge wall. Another metaphor that delivers the same message is the word "darkness" (l. 29). The use of the image of touching the sky (l. 16: "Rose until it... sky") underlines the hopelessness of this situation, it intensifies the meaning of the metaphor "wall". The opposite that begins in the second stanza forms another important part of the poem. The poet uses it to focus on those parts of the American Dream that have to be corrected. Langston Hughes likes using repetitions and parallelism (l. 12: "Rose slowly, slowly"; ll. 18/19: "Shadow. I am black."; ll. 30/31: "To smash... shadow") to put emphasis on the importance of changing something. He addresses everybody personally to undergo a change in his personal thinking. Another important stylistic device is the caesura in line 6. Langston Hughes uses it to attract the readers' attention, he pauses to make them listen to him and also to put all emphasis on the words "My dream", the key-words of the poem. Other important stylistic devices Hughes uses to focus on all the lacks of the American Dream are anaphora (ll. 19/20: "I am... I lie..."; ll. 25/26: My hands! My..."; ll. 30/31: "To smash... To break..."; ll. 32/33: "Into a thousand..."), epiphora (ll. 9/10: "Rose slowly, slowly"; ll. 11-15: "... my dream... my dream."), enumerations (ll. 13/14: "Dimming, Hiding"; ll. 29-31: "Help me... of sun") and chiasm (ll. 8/9: "... wall rose, rose slowly"). One of the most important stylistic devices is the use of the exclamations in the last stanza. Langston Hughes really wants all the American people to change something now, he wants them to demonstrate against government, he wants them to "Break through the wall" (l. 27), he wants them to find their dreams (compare l. 28). He wants all the people living in America to live up to the expressions he uses in the last stanza. As I've already said in number two, this last stanza is furthermore a historical reference to Martin Luther King. Hughes criticizes the same points of the American Dream as King did.
4. There are several other discrepancies between the American Dream and reality except the problem of racism and discrimination. One huge discrepancy refers to the right of liberty. I have a friend living in Florida and he told me that it is almost impossible not to go to jail once in your lifetime. The law in America is much stricter and the punishments are much more serious. The right of life is closely connected with these punishments. The government is allowed to kill people for murders or manslaughters. In my opinion this law doesn't fit in with the right of life. By killing people for manslaughter and murder, the government puts itself on the same level with the murderers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main theme of Langston Hughes' "As I grew older" regarding the American Dream?
Langston Hughes presents a negative view of the American Dream in his poem, using his personal experiences of racial discrimination to highlight the disparity between the ideal and the reality. He describes his disillusionment and the obstacles preventing him from achieving the dream.
How does Hughes' poem contradict the Declaration of Independence?
The poem contrasts sharply with the Declaration of Independence's promise of unalienable rights, such as liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Hughes suggests that these rights are not equally accessible to all Americans, particularly people of color, due to discrimination and racism. He implies the American Dream is not a universal experience.
What stylistic devices does Hughes use in "As I grew older"?
Hughes employs a range of stylistic devices, including alliterations, chiasm, comparisons, caesura, opposites, enumerations, metaphors, anaphoras, epiphoras, personal pronouns, historical references, paratactical sentence structure, and parallelism. These devices serve to emphasize his message and enhance the poem's impact.
How does Hughes use metaphors in his poem to convey his message?
Hughes uses metaphors such as "wall" to represent hopelessness and the barriers erected by racial discrimination. The "wall" symbolizes the obstacles that prevent him from achieving his dream. The use of "darkness" further emphasizes the stifling effect of discrimination. "Dream" is a key metaphor representing the hope Hughes once had.
What discrepancies between the American Dream and reality are highlighted besides racism?
Besides racism, the text identifies discrepancies related to liberty (strict laws and punishments), the right to life (capital punishment), and the pioneers' spirit/ "can-do-attitude." It questions the equality of opportunity, pointing to class distinctions and the difficulty for those in disadvantaged circumstances to climb the social ladder.
Does the text mention other figures who have commented on similar themes?
Yes, the text makes a historical reference to Martin Luther King and his "I have a Dream" speech, drawing parallels between Hughes' struggle and King's fight for civil rights. Hughes, like King, wants liberty for all Americans.
How does the text suggest the American Dream can be made truer?
The text suggests that the state should enact laws supporting families and people suffering from unemployment and social disadvantage. By addressing these inequalities, class distinctions could be minimized, and the American Dream could become a reality for more people.
- Quote paper
- Heike Barkawitz (Author), 2000, Hughes, Langston - As I grew older - The American Dream, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/98370
