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When put into perspective, many poets of the twentieth century have touched us as a society; Robert Frost and Langston Hughes are excellent examples. By reading the poems of these two famed American poets, we can see the hidden meanings which reflect the lives of each author. Children's Rhymes by Langston Hughes has a definite relation not only to his own life, but to his African-American heritage as well. This poem -- written from the supposed point of view of a child -- depicts the inequalities which plagued the African-American society of Hughes' time.
By what sends the white kids I ain't sent: I know I can't be President. This verse describes the belief that a young black man or woman -- no matter how intelligent, hard-working, or resourceful he / she may be -- could not, one day, be president. The discrimination displayed here clearly puts the prejudice Hughes may or may not have suffered during his life, into perspective. Lies written down for white folks ain't for us a-tall: Liberty And Justice -- Huh! -- For All? These words -- the final verse in the poem -- show the reader that black people of the early-mid 20 th century were not only held back, but put down as well. The first three lines suggest that where white people were given breaks in the law, the black members of our society were restricted beyond the extent of the law.
The two final lines -- the most significant of the poem -- show us that African-Americans were not yet truly free at the writing of the poem. Other poems written by Langston Hughes also demonstrate these views on 20 th century society; for example, Hughes' poem Mother to Son. The poem is written from the point of view of a black mother, telling her son of her hardships during her life. The writing style is purposefully that of the language of an uneducated African-American -- the norm for the era in which she would have lived. The line: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. appears near the start of the poem and is repeated as the last line.
The woman goes on to say that she's 'climbed' these proverbial stairs, and is still climbing. The idea that the stairs she has climbed haven't been 'crystal' is a metaphor saying that life hasn't exactly been kind to her; she has never experienced wealth or prosperity. The way that the woman explains how life is still hard and will probably always be hard is obvious throughout the poem. However, unlike in Children's Rhymes, Hughes explains that one cannot give up simply because of hardships, which shows that Hughes had not completely given up on the society of which he was a part. Robert Frost -- one of the most beloved poets from the United States -- wrote many poems which reflected his thoughts and feelings about life. The poem The Armful is an excellent sample of this.
In this poem, Frost tells us that he is struggling to keep his 'armful' from slipping out of his hands. For every parcel I stoop down to seize I lose some other off my arms and knees, And the whole pile is slipping, bottles, buns, Extremes too hard to comprehend at once This is very significant of Frost's efforts to juggle his career (writing), his family, and even his politics. These aspects of his life are the 'bottles', 'buns' and 'extremes too hard to comprehend at once. ' Frost continues on to explain how he is managing all of this. Yet nothing I should care to leave behind.
With all I have to hold with hand and mind And heart, if need be, I will do my best. To keep their building balanced at my breast. I crouch down to prevent them as they fall; Then sit down in the middle of them all. I had to drop the armful in the road And try to stack them in a better load. Frost tells us that even though he may have some trouble balancing the aspects of his life, he will not leave any of it behind; he will pick up the pieces and continue on his way through life.
He indicates that should everything fall from his hands, he will 'sit down in the middle of them all... and try to stack them in a better load. ' This indicative that Frost is optimistic that he can put his life back together even if absolutely everything falls apart. Frost's poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening gives us the same impression as the end of The Armful, by the means of telling us that he is not about to give up on anything in his life. The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. This verse is very meaningful in showing that Frost is very intent on continuing his journey through life without having anything stop him from succeeding. The way he uses 'promises' could very well mean that he has made a promise, in a sense, to his family and to himself that he won't let anything stop him from living and writing.
When we compare both Frost's The Armful and Hughes' Children's Rhyme, we may notice some differences as well as some similarities. While The Armful indicative of Frost's life directly, we see that Children's Rhyme more or less represents Hughes' thoughts on, not so much his own life, but a life as an African-American in the United States. Hughes implies that being black during his lifetime was much more difficult than being white due to the discrimination his people suffered during those times. On the other hand, Frost is showing us that he isn't worried about the views of a society, he is worried about fumbling things in his life and creating a situation in which he would have to pick up the pieces and start over. By reading these two poems and comparing them, we can also see that Hughes' poem is much more political and deals with much more societal problems than that of Frost. Hughes discusses the strife involved between black people and the law of that era by rhetorically asking whether or not there is truly justice for all.
Frost, however, does not deal with politics in his poem, other than his own life; he simply told us of how he is trying to manage his life. Both of these poets directly or indirectly put themselves into their poetry, whether it be by discussing their lives, or by showing us the truth behind their views. Needless to say, they have touched our lives as a society in a great way.
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Research essay sample on 20 Th Century Point Of View
