’s Notebook
About Lan
gston Hug
hes and “H
Langston H ughes was a writer an in 1902. He d activist b later move orn in Jopli d to New Y of the prem n, Missouri o rk City whe iere voices , re he beca of the Harl Black art a me one em Renais nd though sa nce—an eru t during th as “jazz po ption of e 1920s. His etry,” beca w o rk is best d u se similarly to a variety o e scribed jazz music f forms, rhy it encompa thms, and popular du sounds. Hu sses ring the Ha ghes’s writi rlem Renais described ngs grew sance—an as when “t era Hughes he negro w by Langston Hughes famously a s in vogue.” The poem “Harlem” w as initially poetry coll included in ection, Mo Hughes’s fi n ta ge of a Dre Montage o rst major am Deferre f a Dream D What happens to a dream deferred? d. Publishe e ferred captu American a d in 1951, res the plig fter World ht of the B War II. Pro Dream” up lack mised a ch on their re ance at the turn home forces and “A m , B erican la ck America fought ove ns joined th rseas in larg effects of th Does it dry up e e numbers armed at dream— . But the ta jobs, educa gain—were ngible ti o n a n l e opportunit ver made re like a raisin in the sun? ies, financia al, and the In “Harlem l promises w ,” Langston e H re u g left unfulfill h a nxiety man es reflects Or fester like a sore— ed. on the disa y Black Am ppointmen ericans exp t e a ri n e d n c In e d the poem, during this And then run? “dream” re time. p re the workin sents the e g-class Bla mpty prom ck America ise of equit Does it stink like rotten meat? America. T ns in Harle y for hroughout m , a n th d e poem, Hu by extensio rhetorical q n, in g h e u s uses a de Or crust and sugar over— estion: a q uestion tha vice known to provoke t a is s the n’t meant to thought. T hese quest be answere how much like a syrupy sweet? io n d s ask the re but the Black w ader to con orking-class the buildin sider just community g frustratio will endure n—and dan poem: dry . Consider ger—implie up, fester, d b y the verbs run, stink, c ru in the st a nd sugar o The poem Maybe it just sags ver, sag…E isn’t only p X PLODE. resent in h poem “Harl er title; Lorr em” as an a in like a heavy load. e Hansberr epigraph fo y uses the r A Raisin in An epigrap the Sun. h is a quote from anoth understand er author to the nature help reade o f the new p poetry, pro rs iece. Epigra se, religiou p s hs can com Or does it explode? te xt, historic Hansberry e from al docume understood nts, and ev the import just how m en music! ance of all uch Langst art forms, e on Hughes’ time period specially s work tran . On April 5 sc ends a spe , 1958, Hug permission cific h es granted to use “Ha Lorraine H rlem” to he written and a nsberry lp frame A Ra published isin in the S form. Hansb to help aud u n in its erry uses th iences und Why is this stanza isolated? e epigraph erstand so face throug “H m arlem” e o f hout the p the challen lay—simila Scholars suggest that ges the Yo when he co r u to ngers those Hugh mposed “H es wrote a arlem” in 19 Sun, consid this stanza refers to b o 51. While w ut er how eac atching A R h characte Does Mam aisin in the the growing Civil Rights r may emb a “dry up” ody a diffe and let go Ruth lettin rent stanza of her drea Movement that took flight in g it “fester . m s of social like a sore” Walter Lee mobility? Is and harbori let it “crust the years after the poem ng her ang and sugar society? Th er? Or doe over,” forg is poem is s e was written. The Civil Rights tt ing the inju a c all to actio own dream stices of n. Conside s. r how you Movement was an explosion handle you r of activism that addressed —ASHLEY M. THOMA racial discrimination and S
arlem”
Harlem
sought to secure equal rights for Black Americans.
6
