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Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman, 2006.
A review and comparison of the poems "I, too, sing America" by Langston Hughes and "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman.
1,592 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper takes a look at Walt Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" and Langston Hughes' "I, too, sing America". According to the paper, both poems address the beauty of the many voices of Americans and express a feeling of optimism, while also reflecting the variety of the voices and a feeling of joy.
From the Paper
"Whitman's "I Hear America Singing" is typical of his style in that it employs free verse and has an effusive spirit. The situation is that of a speaker who observes and listens to the "varied carols" of Americans. The speaker expresses delight at the voices of mechanics, carpenters, masons, boatmen, deck-hands, shoemakers, hatters, wood-cutters, ploughboys, mothers, and wives. Many of these images reflect the activity and bustle of a burgeoning America in 1860. There are obvious building and growth images in the work of "the carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam" and "the mason singing his as he makes ready for work." The mothers and wives, too, are building the future with their "delicious singing." The pervasive spirit of hopefulness in the poem is like beautiful music to the listener."
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The Works of Langston Hughes, 2007.
An analysis of the life and works of Langston Hughes and their contribution to the Harlem Renaissance.
1,968 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 10 sources, MLA, £ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the life and works of African-American writer, Langston Hughes. It particularly considers how Hughes was linked to the period of time known as the Harlem Renaissance and how he affected this time period. The paper also looks at the early life of Hughes and discusses how the life and writings of Langston Hughes continues to inspire African-Americans to this day.
Table of Contents:
The Early Life of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes and Harlem
Life and Career of Langston Hughes
The Works of Langston Hughes
From the Paper
"While the early life of Langston Hughes, and the Harlem Renaissance have been discussed, it is important to study what his life was like as he strived to eventually make Harlem his home. Early in life Hughes had decided to make writing as his career. At only eighteen years old, Hughes decided that he would make his living as a writer, but only had Hughes decided to be a writer, he had also decided to focus most of his writings to be about African Americans. "From his decision around 1920, at the age of 18, to try to live by his writings, he devoted himself to a career that would take as its center the world of African Americans" (Rampersad 22). Hughes believed African Americans were equal to whites and he believed in valuing humanity regardless of the person's skin color or race. "He moved easily between this profound sense of racial pride and love - unrivaled in its intensity by that of any other major writer - a cosmopolitanism that made him at home all around the world" (Rampersad 22). Even at a young age, people began to value his works."
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Walt Whitman and James McPherson, 2003.
A comparative analysis of "Poetry and Prose" by Walt Whitman and "For Cause and Comrades" by Walt Whitman and James McPherson.
690 words (approx. 2.8 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 16.95
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Abstract
This paper compares how both Walt Whitman, in "Poetry and Prose" and James M. McPherson, in "For Cause and Comrades", portray the experiences of soldiers in the Civil War as hell. It looks at McPherson's account of the carnage and Whitman's account of loss and wasted humanity.
From the Paper
"A review of the poetry and prose of Walt Whitman and James M McPherson in Civil War Poetry and Prose and For Cause and Comrades respectively demonstrates that both individuals have one main theme about war. War is hell. In his book .."
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Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself", 2005.
A discussion on Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" as analyzed by Edwin Haviland Miller in his book "Walt Whitman's Poetry: A Psychological Journey".
1,355 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses why Walt Whitman ranks as one of America's major poets of the nineteenth century and how his "Leaves of Grass", which contains "Song of Myself" is considered by critic and author Edwin Haviland Miller "the first great poem in American literature."
From the Paper
"Let's face it: we are far more "at ease" in limiting poetry and poets to the pale blushes of an Elizabeth Barrett Browning and the Shelleys of the past. Even some American poetry seems destined to be clothed in the bleak black gowns of women who wrote poetry as an escape from their dull realities. It may be a simplistic cliche to consider "Song of Myself" as being a breath of fresh air, where humanity, with its foibles, its laughter, its temporary tragedies, can lead us to "see" the images the poet provides, rather than parsing, line for line, searching for some "deeper, hidden meaning"."
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Poet Langston Hughes, 2004.
This paper discusses Langston Hughes, often referred to as the Poet Laureate or Shakespeare of the Negro race.
1,660 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 13 sources, MLA, £ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Langston Hughes was one of the chief artists responsible for the development of African-American literature, known as the Harlem Renaissance, which saw the increase of self-identity issues of the black or Negro culture in the United States. The author points out that one of Langston Hughes's most anthologized poems, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers," published in 1921, which brought Hughes to public attention, was an attempt to describe the search for identity and the depth of American Negro heritage. The paper relates that the art of Langston Hughes is never far from social issues and politics; some have criticized him, stating that he sacrificed art for politics, but others state that he had an innovative effect in that he made us rethink the historical relationships between poetics and politics.
From the Paper
"In this sense, the Harlem Renaissance was an extension of the movement towards freedom of expression in Negro art, thinking and writing. This renaissance or search for new meaning in the face of old restrictions was also reflected in other artistic and cultural events throughout the world. The sense of rebellion against restrictions and prejudice was expressed though the free and unencumbered patterns of jazz. "The Negro fad of the twenties encompassed a new EuroAmerican interest in jazz, African art, and sculpture and a return to the values of a preindustrial society." Hughes was to use this aspect to great advantage in his work."
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Langston Hughes (1902-1967), 2005.
This paper discusses the poetry of Langston Hughes, the first American black to support himself as a writer.
845 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Langston Hughes, as leader of the Harlem writers and creator of the Black Literary Renaissance of the 1920s, was a spokesman for the plight of many black people in America. The author states that many African-Americans activists, such as Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, did not appreciate Langston Hughes's poetry because they only wanted the positive side of the black experience portrayed. The paper concludes that the poetry of Langston Hughes captures a moment in history when the tension between race relations was high and many blacks were looking to break free; Hughes was the black voice of this Freedom Movement.
From the Paper
"Throughout his extensive collection of poetry, there are numerous lyrics that reflect this, such as "Jazzonia," "Young Gal's Blues," and "Dream Boogie," just to name a few. He even often had blues players at his readings to perform musical interludes while he recited his poems. Ultimately, by using the music, he was able to capture an aspect of African-American culture that was different from the traditional "white" culture. In other words, it was unique, it was his. It was this difference, this uniqueness, which his poetry illuminates so well."
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Langston Hughes, 2001.
This paper discusses the American Dream as reflected in the poem "Let America" by Langston Hughes and how other works such as of Thomas Jefferson and Thoreau reflects this idea.
920 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 2 sources, £ 22.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the American Dream as reflected in the poem ?let America?.? By Langston Hughes and how other works such as of Thomas Jefferson and Thoreau reflects this idea.
From the paper:
The American poet Langston Hughes is considered to be the most original and the most representative of African American writers. In his various poems including the famous one ?let America be America again?, he is said to have envisioned the dreams of the common folk etching them into the memory of the Americans, which included both black and white Americans. Langston Hughes in spite of his many misgivings that he suffered in life pursued the dreams of his life as a committed writer at many times while facing the harshness of poverty.
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Walt Whitman: Poet and Advertising Genius, 2004.
Deals with American poet, Walt Whitman, and his self-reviews.
3,235 words (approx. 12.9 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 64.95
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Abstract
Walt Whitman was publicly denounced by his life-long friend, William Swinton, for secretly writing and publishing his own reviews for "Leaves of Grass". This paper does not address the ethical concerns of Whitman?s self-promotion. Instead, it reveals, through an analysis of Walt Whitman?s first self-review, that he drew heavily on several elements of contemporary 19th century advertising strategies in his self-promotion.
From the Paper
"The passage develops a clear picture of the American literati as a wealthy, and almost royal, class that cannot project the passionate natures of the common people in their language. Whitman regularly defined American democracy against European feudalism as a rhetorical strategy in his prose and poetry to emphasis the need for a truly American literature that could ?express the vigor and roughness? (Encyclopedia 223) of Whitman?s American landscape including its entire diverse people and emerging institutions. For Whitman, an ideal American democracy embraces non-discriminatory practice and includes the lower classes in its national pride."
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Langston Hughes, 2004.
A review of the poetry of Langston Hughes.
1,235 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 0 sources, £ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how, from the perspective of an African-American male, Langston Hughes writes about social struggles and hardships, but also imparts a message of hope for the future of blacks in America. It looks at how several interrelated themes run through the poetry of Langston Hughes, all of which have to do with being black in America and surviving in spite of immense difficulties. Through a review of the poems, ?I, Too, Sing, America?, ?Mother to Son?, and ?The Weary Blues?, it demonstrates how Hughes writes specifically about racial discrimination and about being black in a white-dominated society.
From the Paper
"The soul of the black man or woman in America is tainted by a legacy of racism and intolerance; Hughes captures this unfortunate reality in his poetry. In ?I, Too, Sing America,? Hughes notes that as the ?darker brother,? he has been forced to eat in the kitchen ?when company comes.? Not only is he employed as a servant, but his master humiliates him further through segregation. This is only one small example of the type of segregation that haunted American society in the Jim Crow days. In ?I, Too, Sing America,? Hughes uses this situation as a metaphor for greater racial discrimination in society. Moreover, as the ?darker brother,? Hughes notes that whites perceive blacks in a negative light and use segregation to keep blacks subjugated and shrouded in darkness."
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Poetry of Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes, 2006.
A look at how both Emily Dickinson's poem, "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church" and Langston Hughes' poem, "Mulatto" reflect the changes that were taking place in American society during the times the poems were written.
675 words (approx. 2.7 pages), 2 sources, £ 18.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how Emily Dickinson's poem, "Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church", and Langston Hughes' poem, "Mulatto", both reflect changes happening in each poet's generation even though the two poems are drastically different. The paper explains that Hughes' poem touches on the changes in the views and attitudes of African-Americans and whites in post-civil war America, while Dickinson poem touches on the theme of religion in her poem, showing how times have changed the way that faith and religious practice are viewed. In an analysis of Langston Hughes' poem, "Mulatto", the paper explains that the poem expresses the immense anger through images of rape, oppression, and mixed emotion. The very title and the indecision over being half white and half black represent many of the key issues in prejudice that were apparent in the early 1900s in America. That time was also complicated for people who were mulatto, like the author of this poem.
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Walt Whitman: Poetic Maverick, 2006.
This paper examines the life of American poet Walt Whitman, while also focusing on the various influences that were expressed in his works of writing.
2,417 words (approx. 9.7 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 50.95
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Abstract
The writer of this well-researched paper details the personal and historical events, of 19th century America, that impacted Walt Whitman's style of writing. This paper cites various quotes from Whitman's poems that related to personal experiences in his life. One experience that greatly impacted Whitman's writing was the time he spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Whitman typically wrote poetry to express his emotions as well as work through them by attempting to make sense of what was going on around him. This paper discusses how Whitman's poem "Song of Myself" revealed the devastation caused by the war, while also illustrating Whitman's ability to speak for every man.
This paper analyzes how Whitman's writing touches on the human experience in numerous ways. The writer discusses the various themes prevalent throughout Whitman's writings. One major theme that emerges is that of mankind connecting, either with himself, others or nature. Whitman was compelled to challenge the literature of his day. He wanted to write for the common man rather than the intellectual one. The writer contends and explains why connecting with his fellow man was essential to Whitman. One poem that illustrates this aspect of Whitman's personality is "Leaves of Grass." In this particular poem, Whitman reaches out to others as he speaks for them. Whitman's belief was that every man was worthy of freedom, regardless of race or sex.
From the Paper
"What the review does not consider is how Whitman is able to connect with what is around him. This connection with his soul, nature, the universe, and others is indeed different but that alone does not warrant a bad review. The Saturday Review does acknowledge that that even if "Whitman was as "powerful and new and American and rousing" as some would like to believe, this "does not make him out to be a poet." In addition, the Saturday Review rejects the notion that a poet can be defined "merely because he holds forth in rhapsodical style about one man being as good as another" and claims that this type of definition confuses the "functions of the poet and the stump orator; and generally, when Walt Whitman has any meaning at all, it amounts to no more than this."
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Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself", 2004.
This paper analyzes sections 1 and 2 of Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself".
2,095 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 45.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself "is divided into 52 parts and it is evident from the beginning that, as far as structure is concerned, no apparent logic holds the body of the work together. The author points out that the first section of the poem begins with "I celebrate myself" and that is what the whole piece is about, not the celebration of Walt Whitman, the persona or the poet but of the concept of the universal "self", which the poet seeks to embody. The paper relates that, in the second part, the image of "Nature" is awe-inspiring, all-powerful and full of dangerous beauty, certainly a rather carnal beauty capable of attracting its progeny to their natural state.
From the Paper
"The poem is based on rhythm, not the normal rhythm of speech but one organized in a more or less regular pattern. The cadence has extreme freedom. Broadly, the poem is composed in iambic feet but modifications are made very quickly. Song of Myself is a poem of movement and change, and all its parts are driven by the force of gradual and fluid interconnection of opposites ("fragrance" vs. "odorless", "respiration" vs. "inspiration"), by the constant repetition("myself", "assume", "perfume") and Whitman's long lists of nouns and adjectives of which we have the first example in the second part of the poem (lines 22 - 23). The "-ing" forms ("beating", "passing") change dynamically, which gives the poetic movement its smoothness. Movements within the poem occur gradually and cautiously with the help of the numerous blanks Whitman creates."
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Walt Whitman?s ?A Noiseless Patient Spider?, 2002.
This paper discusses that Walt Whitman?s ?A Noiseless Patient Spider?
is a guide to Whitman?s acts of poetic creation.
945 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Walt Whitman?s ?A Noiseless Patient Spider? appeared in many versions throughout his career, from early journals to his later works. The author points out that originally the poem spoke about difficulties in seeking love but later became more universal by speaking to the difficulty of the creative poet reaching out to the universe. The paper relates that the poem, in its latest form, is a commentary on the finiteness of human life in the universal scope.
From the Paper
"Turning to the poem itself, one sees the application of web texture to poem text. There is an interconnectedness throughout, with central sounds and words carried from line to line and stanza to stanza. ?Mark?d where? begins both the 2nd and 3rd lines: ?I mark'd where on a little promontory it stood isolated, / Mark'd how to explore the vacant vast surrounding.? Throughout there flows a repetitive internal rhyme scheme tying the center of the lines together as if with spiral strands of web. ?Ever unreeling...ever speeding...? in the last line of the first stanza ties to the ?musing, venturing, throwing, seeking? in line three of stanza two. The second stanza is bracketed by repetitions of ?Oh my soul.? The repetition of words in the last two lines of the poem: ?Till the bridge you will need be form'd, till the ductile anchor hold, / Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul? is typical of Whitman. In many of his poems, this repetition is even more noticeable. Entire stanzas will have a short phrase, word, internal sound, or grammatical structure which repeats, tying them together."
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Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance, 2002.
This paper analyzes the works, "Harlem: A Dream Deferred", "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", "Theme for English B", "The Weary Blues", and "As I Grew Older", by Langston Hughes.
1,675 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 37.95
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The paper discusses Hughes's work and its relation to the Harlem Renaissance period. It explains how Langston Hughes is one of the premier writers of the Harlem Renaissance period, when black artists came into their own in America. The Harlem Renaissance helped other Americans understand the needs and feelings of blacks and helped create lasting careers for many black artists, including Hughes. Hughes continued to write about the plight of black Americans throughout his life, and his works are still vital and lasting tributes to the struggles of blacks everywhere in their quest for freedom and equality.
From the Paper
"The Harlem Renaissance was an artistic movement during the 1920s, which took place in the Harlem district of New York City. By the 1920s, many black Americans who had left their lives in the South and moved north to improve themselves, had settled in Harlem, and the district was well known as a black enclave in the city. Musicians, artists, and writers seemed to congregate in the Harlem area, and it became an community of the black arts, including jazz and blues music, poetry, painting, and just about every art form. There were many different artists associated with the Renaissance, including Arna Bontemps, Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, James Weldon Johnson, Claude McKay, and Jean Toomer, among many others. The Harlem Renaissance flourished during the 1920s, and brought many people a new understanding the black's subjugation and discrimination. The movement faded with time, especially after the Great Depression began in the 1930s."
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