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Tth Gabriella Modern Poetry in Seminar - Enter Paper Teacher: Bocsor Per Fall, 2003, 12. 17. The African-American Christ Not until the beginning of the twentieth century can we hear voices of African-American artist, when the so-called Harlem Renaissance began in the 1920 s. Such great artists like Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, Rita Dove and many other names hallmark this period of American literature. The book, recently published by Joanne V. Gabbin, titled The Furious Flowering of African-American Poetry contains a number of critics, essays and also six live interviews with practicing poets.
This collection of pearls of African-American literature also arises the major issue that emerges in the works of almost all African-American artists in the twentieth century. The artists mentioned in this collection have raised their voice against negative discrimination such as racism, sexism, political, and economic exploitation. Until the twentieth century only white writers had been writing about white experience. This hegemony of white literature was broken by the outbreak of the Harlem Renaissance, which swept across the United States after the 1920 s.
Black rhythm and rhyme filled this new wave of literature, from which one voice has risen higher than the rest. This voice was Langston Hughes, the poet hero, as Jeff Trussell wrote about him in his article on his life: The Poet Hero: Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes was born in 1902 Joplin, Missouri, in an abolitionist family. From the south, he moved to New York, where he became a student at Columbia University. A very interesting detail about his family that his grandfathers brother, John Mercer Langston was the first Black American, who was elected to public office, in 1855. In his poetry, Langston Hughes as the Poet Laureate of Harlem stood up for his race and basically this determines his whole poetic confession.
In an essay, - published in the Nation, in 1926, - Langston Hughes said: We, young Negro artists intend to express our dark-skinned selves without fears or shame | If white people are pleased, we are glad. If they arent it doesnt matter. This idea is represented in one of his later poems: Theme for English B, which was written in 1959. The poem, with its simple syntactic structure, and entirely vernacular language communicates the essence of the struggle, fought by Black people against racism. Racism, as a historical phenomenon takes back to the second half of the nineteenths century. Soon after the victory of Abolition of slaves, in the Civil War, was the Ku-Klux-Klan founded, which kept on committing atrocious acts against African-Americans till the late 1960 s.
Many of the Black Americans thought that the only solution to stop this ocean of violence is fighting in the same manner. Only a few African-Americans leaders, like Martin Luther King, and artists have realised that this fight is entirely pointless, since every single violent act committed as a vengeance - gives birth to even more violence and suffering on both sides. Reading this poem, we could ask the question whether it is the colour of our skin that makes us different and does it become possible to fight against this phenomenon without hatred and bitterness, with the power of words? The verse starts with a dialogue between the instructor and the poet. The instructor said | Go home and write a page tonight| And let that page come out of you, than itll be true. The word true in the first stanza is going to be essential throughout the whole poem.
I wonder if it's that simple? This line refers to the fact that its not easy for the poetic persona to find the truth that he can communicate about himself, especially at the age of 22. I like to eat, sleep, drink, and be in love (in line 21) is the list of a few basic human features, which are characteristic of all humans, regardless of their race, age or sex. The physical human characteristic features are followed by intellectual activities such as work, read, learn and understand life | I like Bessie, bop, or Bach.
These intellectual values however, are also the same for each and every individual. Though the instructor is older, white and somewhat more free it does not mean that they cannot like the same things such as music for example. On the other hand, the lines (39 40) could possibly be interpreted as the poets anger towards the instructor, and along with him, in my point of view, symbolically towards white society as well. The lines (34 35) Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me. Nor do I often want to be a part of you also refer to this idea.
However, the poets anger seems to be decreased towards the end of the final stanzas of the work, as he announces they both learn from each other. Truth as it is that the very act of learning is in the possession of fundamental significance in Langston Hughes life. This is best shown by a symbolic map of the United States, (in lines 9 11) which is inevitably interweave with the history of Hughes education up until the beginning of his university studies. He says: I went to school there, then Durham, then here to this college on the hill above Harlem. On the other hand, the college on the hill which might give us the impression of a classroom situated in Heaven expresses Hughes philosophy in his life. Not only he considers studying one of the most important things in his life, but also of a tool in his hands with the help of which he can rise out from his race not with the meaning of aristocratic detachment but with the intention of helping to other African-Americans.
He, as being the only coloured student in his class has to represent his own community in a predominantly white context. Whatever he is communicating about himself does not only going to determine the judgement towards him, but also towards the African-American community. Hughes, in one of his earlier works: Christ in Alabama, (which first version was published in 1931) wrote: Christ is a Nigger. In my opinion, this attitude has remained throughout his whole life. He has, indeed, managed to find the way of becoming a Christ in his own community in the narrow sense of the word.
With his entire oeuvre, he has proved for white people, as well as for African-Americans that his community is equal to the community of whites. In the second half of the poem, Hughes questions whether his page will be coloured that he writes. In my view, this rhetorical question and the answer he gives to it: Being me, it will not be white. |But it will be a part of you, instructor. | You are white |yet a part of me, as I am a part of you could be understood as the moral essence of this poem. For Langston Hughes to be American means to hear Harlem and the voices of the people in his community, which he communicates to white people. Though the colour of the skin will always be different, the line Being me it will not be white refers to this the poem shows that the relation of African-Americans and white Americans cannot be handled with resentment, since the people, living in the United States have some things in common that is being Americans with the same human feelings, emotions and thoughts. Sample reference list: Langston, Hughes: The Theme for English B | Christ in Alabama Jeff, Trussell: The Poet Hero: Langston Hughes Joanne, V.
Gabbin: The Furious Flowering of African American Poetry Erick, Range, critic
Free research essays on topics related to: theme for english b, harlem renaissance, african american poetry, langston hughes, african americans
Research essay sample on African American Poetry Theme For English B
