Hey guys!
Sorry I could not be there today, but I am still recovering from a cold and I also have to take the Graduate Readiness Exam (for graduate school entry) today.
Today you must do the following:
1. Research the following poem types and compose poems of your own in this style.
- Frame poetry
- Found Poetry or Magnetic Poetry
- Acrostic
2. Read this biography of Langston Hughes.
http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83
3. Read his poems "Democracy" and "Freeedom's Plow" at the following links:
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/democracy/
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/freedom-s-plow/
Write a 200+ word response that compares the two and what you know of the author. You may post this as a comment on this entry or you may submit via paper. This will be due Friday.
Thanks guys, and have a great day!
B. Parsons
25 comments:
Allison Rowe
Mr. Parsons
Langston Hughes was born in 1902 in Missouri and growing up he took lots of odd jobs such as, launderer, assistant cook, a busboy, and a seaman in Africa and Europe. When he died he left a large body of poetic work including plays and many prose works. He also wrote many drams and poetry of translation. His poem on democracy was all about his own opinion based on what he had seen and known. He says that democracy is never going to come and that everyone has to stand up for themselves and themselves only. He disagrees with just allowing things to happen he writes about pushing yourself and making things happen now. I think he is saying if you wait nothing will come, if you want something you have to do it to make sure it gets done. Freedom’s Plow is about working to get what you want. These poems are very similar teaching the same messages, which again is you want something done do it yourself and work to get it, don’t just give up or keep waiting. Freedom’s Plow says that a man starts with nothing and then works and gains everything. Then tells how when the first time someone sees something they think it is to hard , but then do anything to accomplish their dream in a lonely world.
Langston Hughes is the author of Democracy and Freedoms plow. Hughes was born on February 1, 1902,In Joplin, Missouri. His grandmother raised Hughes until he was thirteen. He moved to Lincoln Illinois to live with his mother. He had jobs as bus boys, and traveled to Africa and Europe working as a seaman. He spent a year at Columbia University as well. In November 1924 he moved to Washington and published his first book the “The Weary Blues” published by Alfred A, Knoph in 1926. In 1930 he published his first novel, Not Without Laughter. It won the Hamon gold medal for literature.
Hughes died in May 22,1967, In New York. He had complication with prostate cancer. In his memory his residence at 20 east 1227th Street in Harlem, New York City was given a landmark status and East street has been renamed after Hughes.
Democracy by Langston Hughes is about Democracy and how it will never come and how people are fighting for freedom and food. Freedoms Plow is about men building, starting with faith and obstacles they have to overcome. Democracy and Freedoms Plow are very similar because they’re both talking about over coming obstacles and freedom.
Tiger tiger burning bright
Tiger! Tiger burning bright
In the forests of the night,
Rise up-for you the flag is flung, for you the bugle trills..
Oh, the bleeding drops of red
It was not death for I stood up
And all the dead lie down
Once upon, a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary
Oh, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
What the hammer? What the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? What dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
Tiger! Tiger! Burning bright
In the forests of the night
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry
Isolate
Is thou guilty?
Shall he confess?
Overreaction is the key
Lying to the judge
Aint he guilty?
Torture the accused
Escape the madness
Ashley Barlow
Langston Hughes was a fantastic poet. He left a large amount of poetic work behind after his death. Langston is mostly known for his insightful poems of the life of black Americans. He traveled the world and in his poetry it shows he has a lot of experience with all different types of racial groups.
In Langston Hughes pomes he speaks of never accomplishing peace or democracy. This shows all in his back ground. In this time period it would have been very hard to look on the bright side of anything. At that time equal rights was really just a joke. In many of Langston Hughes pomes he kind of put in his own reference or his option that there will never be a free nation.
I do believe that he thought that there should be a free nation. At that point America was called a free nation but in reality we weren’t. To Langston Hughes a free nation was only an unreachable dream.
If Langston Hughes was still alive today I think his pomes would be a lot different. His unreachable dream was reached because of people not giving up. In my own option I don’t like his out look. If you believe in a cause that strong than you should never give up hope. If everyone else did the same, we wouldn’t be anywhere today.
Langston Hughes was a poet who lived from 1902 until 1967. He was an African American who wrote trying to capture peoples’ stories in ways that reflected their culture. He tried mainly to write stories reflecting his own culture instead of his personal experiences.
As a boy, Hughes lived with his grandmother then later lived with his mother and her husband in Lincoln, Illinois. This was where he began writing poetry. Hughes traveled to many places holding odd jobs, and then settled in Washington D.C. where his first book of poetry, The Weary Blues, was published. Hughes’ work and life made him an influential figure in the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s.
The poem Democracy gives the reader a clear idea of what message Hughes is trying to convey. It describes how a group people, assuming that he is discussing African Americans, want freedom. He describes how democracy will probably not come and that how he has as many rights as the man beside him. Hughes says, “Freedom/Is a strong seed/Planted/In a great need.” This describes his emotion towards how freedom and democracy is needed for his culture.
Freedom’s Plow is a rather lengthy poem by Hughes, but at no point in the poem does the reader become bored or fatigued with it. His strong voice and great use of vocabulary keeps the reader entertained. The poem is about African Americans wanted equal rights. It describes how African Americans were treated at this time and his strong voice serves as a very persuasive technique to the reader to convey his message.
The two poems are very similar since they are generally about the same topic. Both poems reflect his culture, which is his style of writing. He did not write from his personal experiences because he had not experienced slavery, although he probably did face discrimination which seems to be a strong undertone in Democracy.
Langston Hughes is a great American poet. His passionate tone and ability to connect with his readers makes him great. Hughes’ ability to capture the readers’ attention through his culture’s experiences makes him regarded very highly.
Samantha Furst
Langston Hughes is famous for various types of literature such as, novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. He was born February 1, 1902, and spend most of his childhood in Mexico with his grandparents. When Hughes moved to Illinois with his mother and her husband, that’s when he started writing poetry. He finished his college degree at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, and later went on to write some of the most well know poems and novels. Hughes is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals, of black life in the America from the twenties through the sixties. His unique perspective on black American life is reflected in one of his famous poems Democracy.
Democracy is a poem of the unfair treatment that black slaves had to endure during the time of American slavery. “I live here, too. /I want freedom/ Just as you.” This stanza from the poem reflects on how the black Americans must have felt. Were they not Americans? Were they not just at important as everyone else? Why were they treated so differently, when everyone lived on the same land? And breathed the same air. Hughes shows in this poem that juts because they were black Americans, that doesn't mean they should be treated differently than anyone else.
Freedom’s Plow, is another poem on the equality of men, and is about working together as one. Both black and white men built this country, both worked and made America what it is today. I think that is the message Hughes is trying to get across to the reader. It also mentions a song sang by the slaves. “KEEP YOUR HAND ON THE PLOW! HOLD ON!” He wants people to just keep holding on, and great things will happen. The slaves kept holding on, waiting for their freedom, and one day they got it. Both these poems show Langston Hughes unique and insightful thoughts and ideas on slavery and equal rights. He believes in equality through out the country and believes we should all work together as one. These poems are certainly works of art we can all learn from, and they can help us be proud of the very amazing nation we built, that still stands today.
The two poems I read by Langston Hughes were very similar. These poems show many of the author’s beliefs and attitude. He wrote about freedom and equality. Many of the feelings expressed in Langston Hughes’ poetry seem to come from real life experiences.
Langston Hughes was an African American who grew up in a segregated place. He also had to suffer from the divorce of his parents. A lot of these feelings went into his poetry. This is why he wrote about things such as freedom. His poems have a very good real life connection.
The poems “democracy” and “Freedom’s Plow” are very much alike, but have a few differences. Both poems are about the author’s dream of a free and fair world. “Democracy” seems like more of a negative outlook. The author calls the world unfair by saying “ Democracy will never come”. In “ Freedom’s Plow” the author again describes his wishes of a fair world, but has a more positive outlook. He thinks that this could actually be obtained, unlike the first one where he thinks there is no chance of freedom.
A lot can be learned about Langston Hughes from his poems. They describe his life and his wishes. Langston Hughes writes about a free society. His connections to real life and his feelings make him a successful poet.
Langston Hughes, born on February 1, 1902 was a man of many words and he expressed them in the most beautiful way; poetry. As a black man living in the 1900’s, he faced hardships, segregation, and discrimination. After his parents separated, and he moved from home to home, he entered his teen years and began to write poetry. Growing older, Hughes traveled much for his work and experienced a lot. Hughes’ poems such as Democracy and Freedom’s Plow is a reflection of his life, feelings, experiences, thoughts, interpretations and so on.
Langston’s poem Democracy was probably an enlightenment and inspiration for so many African Americans in the 1900’s and today. He clearly expresses that change will not come, freedom will not come, and democracy will not come until ones bravery is found. Langston believed that procrastination lead to failure, therefore if the people wanted freedom, they couldn’t wait for it, they had to take it.
Without lessening his intensity, Langston Hughes proceeded to write a breathtaking poem titled Freedom’s Plow. The introduction sets a mood of hopefulness, stating that everything begins with a dream, with one person, and one goal. It then spreads, searching for followers and other people who have dreamt the same dream. From there it becomes reality, surpassing obstacles and becoming not just a single person’s wish, but everyone’s future. Langston related a plow digging into the ground to a dream planting itself in America. He referred to a song sang by the slaves that stated, “Keep your hand on the plow, hold on!” Mr. Hughes then described that the hopefulness in the songs reminded the slaves to hold on because freedom would come. He continued to state the same line throughout the poem, “Hold on!” This piece of Langston’s gave the people of his time encouragement and understanding of why things take time and how persistence pays off.
It is commonly thought that people are not famous or adored or recognized for their work until after death. This may be true, but Langston Hughes was looked up to and idolized while he was alive. His works, not only his poems, were like a theme song to the current circumstances in America. In 1967, Langston passed away, but our country’s thankfulness of him did not. His eleven plays, many books, and immense of amount of poetry remind us of how slavery and other struggles in America impacted every single one of us.
The Biography of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902. He was born in Joplin, Missouri. Hughes is known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black American life in America. He wrote may different short stories, novels, and plays, along with poetry. He helped to bring about the Harlem renaissance. Unlike man poets, Hughes refused to differentiate between his personal experience and the common experience of black America. He liked to explain the way that his people survived and what they went through mixed with their culture. Hughes died of prostate cancer May 22, 1967.
His poems, Democracy, and Freedom’s Plow, vary in length, but their meanings are almost the same. Hughes said that he wanted to make his writing focus on his “people (black americans)” and explain what they went through, and their needs and wants. Both poems explain how bad that the slaves wanted to be freed, and how they had to wait for slavery to be abolished. He explains how everybody is created equal and that his mean should be treated the same as the white. Slavery had already been abolished before he was born, but he felt that it was a major issue, and that’s what he wanted to focus his writing on.
Langston Hughes was an African American poet who showed how people crave freedom in his poetry. In the poems provided he shows many references to slavery and how the slaves deserve to have freedom. Also he references in both works how they deserve to stand tall and free. In the poem democracy he speaks, as a slave who needs freedom and makes a metaphor, freedom is a seed; this metaphor is also shown in the other poem. I think part of the reason this metaphor is used is that, seeds while minuscule in size can give someone hope. Also he shows that in both poems that freedom and equal rights are given to all Americans in the constitution for all Americans except African Americans. He also shows how some people are against this expectably with the words FREEDOM!
BROTHERHOOD! DEMOCRACY! Also in the poem freedoms plow in the opening paragraph he shows the hardship and anguish of a African American in the early years of the civil rights movement as most of Langston Hughes poetry shows.
Langston Hughes was a Poet, a Writer, and a Musician. He was an African American man, and he mostly wrote of African American trials and tribulations. He lived during the period of time in which African American were very segregated, and worked hard to gain freedom for the blacks. In Freedom, Langston Hughes showed his willpower and determination to gain his freedom. He says that it will not come if everyone sits around, waiting and sitting around. He wanted action, and movement. If the African Americans wanted freedom, Langston wanted them to get up and achieve that freedom. He says that he grows tired of people telling him to wait, telling him that tomorrow is another day, but he does not want to wait, we wants his freedom, and he wants it now. One of the most powerful lines in the poem is, “I do not need my freedom when I'm dead”. This shows just how much he longed for freedom, and instills a sort of power into the reader, inspiring and encouraging. But in Freedoms Plow, his message is a little more reserved. Instead of the straightforward meaning that Langston had in Democracy, Langston kept his cool, and painted a picture for the reader. He painted a picture of slaves being shipped across the sea, a picture of Thomas Jefferson declaring that all men are created equal, a picture of death and chaos at Harpers Ferry. But after he gives such imagery to the reader, he explodes in words and furor, crying FREEDOM, BROTHERHOOD, DEMOCRACY! In freedoms plow he gives the message to hold on to what you believe and in time it will come. But in Democracy he tells the reader to reach out and grab your problems by the horns, and not to wait for another day, but to accomplish tomorrow’s goals today. He gives a mixed message when you compare the two poems. He wants freedom, but it seems as if he does not know how to get it.
Langston Hughes was born in February 1, 1902 in Missouri but he lived with his grandmother after his parents divorce. He moved to lived with his mouth after he was around 13 years old then finished high school and went to different college and ended up graduating from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. I think the way he was raised had a lot to do with how Langston wrote, being a black man during that time he was treated unfair and unequal.
Two poems he wrote called “democracy” and “freedoms plow” are both every good poems and are very well wrote. “Democracy” is about black African Americans are the same as any other person that lives in the United States and should be treated fair and equal. “ Freedoms plow” is about slaves and black American in the united states are people to and they came to America the same as any other person and should be able to walk the land free.
Both “Democracy and “Freedoms plow” is about African American’s and they should be treated better then what they are because they are a human being just like me and you. That is what Langston was trying to get across to the reader.
Langston Hughes lived a somewhat depressing and tragic childhood. While neither of his parents died, his dad was never around and his mom could not provide for him so he had to move in with his grandmother until the age of 13. Then he moved back in with his mother. While living in Lincoln, Illinois with his mother, he finally started to be interested in poetry. Hughes spent his entire life afterwards writing poems until his death in May of 1967. One of his poems is entitled “Democracy” became quite famous for being a pessimistic optimistic view. It shows the life of the working man and he must fight for everything; his job, money and family. He says men should take their destiny into their own hands. Another poem by Hughes called “Freedom’s Plow” is about the settlement, colonization and creation of the United States of America. He takes the reader through all of the phases of America, showing the contradictions of what the great leaders were saying and what they were doing. Saying that “everyone is equal” yet still having men as slaves. In the end though, America stops being a hypocrite and frees the slaves. Thus proving everything that was said before by the American leaders.
Langston Hughes, the monumental, influential African-American poet wrote two especially moving pieces, entitled “Democracy” and “Freedom’s Plow.” Each of the two poems supports and wishes for a state of democracy. “Democracy” is a straightforward poem, quoting, “I live here too. /I want freedom, /Just as you.” The poem claims democracy will come, it may take many years, or decades, but it will come. It my have to overcome adversities, including those Hughes himself had to overcome but democracy will occur and people will live as one. “Freedom’s Plow” has a similar theme, but goes about delivering the message it in a completely different way. It details the African-American’s life from the early history; the ups, the downs, indentured servants, slaves, how it took both races and everything each of the two have been through to get to where we are today as a nation. This poem uses several poetry techniques, including repetition of the word “freedom” to emphasize how people have worked so hard to achieve just that, and vivid imagery of plows, farms, working, and building, all representative of building a future, character, a nation, a foundation of freedom and liberty for all those to follow. Both poems sent across a moving message, gone about in two different ways, but it remains true: freedom, democracy, equality will come, it may take a while and will have its ups and downs along the way, but such concepts are obtainable.
In both the two poems that was written by Langston Hughs had the word freedom. Freedom was the theme throughout both of the poems. It is something that shows from his African American heritage. For when they came to America they were slaves and had no freedom what so ever. It is like he was speaking out for his ancestors and people like Martin Luther King Jr. did in “I Have a Dream” speech as well as others. In both poems he told of the hard work that they would of endured as slaves and their daily lives of plowing and working for an owner. They did not have no freedom at all and then in his life time his people did. How ironic his life was to lives of his ancestors as slaves. However the common theme in both is freedom. Then saying that he does not democracy to come again to his people now nor ever. That they should enjoy the freedom like others no matter of their skin color or where their from. He is writing the poems to enrich people of the hardships his people endured and to give freedom back to his people. He wants every individual to live free.
Megan Smallwood
3rd Period.
Langston Hughes seemed to be very independent growing up. He moved from place to place several times, and this made him thankful for what he had. His works were very powerful and inspirational even in today’s world. His poem “Democracy” almost puts you in the shoes of a black man, trying to make his way in a white world. The people tell him that things will take their course and one day he will get the freedom he deserves. Hughes didn’t want freedom after he had lived his life, he wanted the freedom now. He was tired of waiting for tomorrow. He feels as if he is just the same as any other man living around him. Why couldn’t he obtain the freedom the main next to him could? He wrote another incredibly powerful poem “Freedom’s Plow”. This poem is somewhat similar to his other works, but simultaneously has a diverse underlying meaning. In a way it shows what the true sense of “togetherness” is and how blacks weren’t acknowledged for the accomplishments they had. Togetherness is the key to keep our country together, as one. So many varied people have contributed in building our America, we need to remember this. The messages of Langston’s poems are usually easy to discover, many people don’t take into account what other people have gone through to earn freedom and respect.
Aaron Hieneman
Mr.Parsons
5th period
2-20-09
Langston Hughes was an inspiration figure to the people of the 90s with his poems that he wrote of the life of black man during his time. Langston poem “Americas Plow” gives probably the best description of a black man of the time. He tell everyone that we were all created equal and should be treated as such , but for the ones that could not believe that they just need to hold on and there freedom will arrive. Langston really knew everything about the situation when he wrote this poem, he grew up in a rough town when whites and blacks where still fighting each other and this poem that he wrote was to the white and black. He was trying to tell them “Hey this is wrong there is no reason that we should fight, sure our color is different but we are all the same on the inside.”
His other amazing poem was named “Democracy” which in my mind was amazing as his others. In his poems he was really trying to get his voice out there to the reader and with poem Democracy it really stood out because in the poem he says “Democracy will not come today, this year nor ever through the compromise and fear.” These words really say it all because in his time and age people where living in fear of each other and constantly fighting and so with out everyone learning to get along people would never find peace. Langston Hughes was truly an inspirational write not only to his people but to everyone who wanted to read his poetry in my eyes he’s a hero.
Amanda Harris
Parsons 2nd Period
2-21-09
Essay
Born February 1, 1902 in Missouri was a man by the name of Langston Hughes. He is known as a famous poet. But, poetry was not his first job. He took a job as a cook, a busboy, and a seaman. However, when he began writing poetry he wrote other things as well such as plays, and dramas. One of his works out art is titled “Freedom’s Plow” talks about you have to go after what you want. No one will give it to you freely, so you have to build it and make it what you desire. It is your world, and you are the creator of your life. You start with nothing and then you work for everything you have. The poem “Democracy” was his beliefs. Which is like any poem written by a writer, it’s either what they think or believe. He believes that democracy is a joke, a dream. It will never happen. He believes one must stand up for his or her self and themselves only. Which in some cases and obstacles would be true. It is like the saying. “If you want something done right, you must do it yourself.” And that applies to just about everything in our everyday lives. The poems are similar in a few ways. They both talk about wanting something and they also talk about working to get it. And that nothing comes free. Which is very true, you have to work for what you want, and work for what you believe in. And that you can dream big, but you’ll just have to work harder to make that big dream a reality. And that is an inspirational thing. Everyone who needs a boost needs to work harder in life, or to keep going they need to read these poems. Especially the second on, Freedom’s Plow. It will help tremendously.
In the life of James Langston Hughes, he was born February 1st 1902 in Missouri. He lived with his grandmother until at the age of 13 he decided to go live with his mom in Illinois.
He began writing his poetry in Illinois. After he graduated he stayed a year in Mexico, then a year at Columbia University. He claimed Paul Lawrence Dunbar (BOOO) and many others as his primary influence.is particularly known for his insightful, colorful portrayals of black life in America from the twenties through the sixties. He did not just write poetry, he also wrote short stories, novels, and made plays. He wanted to tell the stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, including both their suffering and their love of music, laughter, life and language itself.
Hughes ended up suffering from a cancer and passed away in May of 1967.In both "Democracy" and "Freedom Plow" Hughes wrote, about always wanting to be free. This poem is about togetherness. What Hughes is saying in his poem Freedom Plow is that black and white people helped build America together. Also that Black people were not acknowledged for what they have done for American. This poem is powerful, especially they way he mentions the quotes from presidents and a black man, which he puts all three together. Togetherness is the key for Americans and others to always be ONE. even though this poem, which makes it a bit longer. For Hughes' poem "democracy" it's no surprise that the democracy in the United States was nonexistent in the early 1900s because for the blacks, they had no rights. Democracy back then was laughable and a joke - and outright biased. Government was ruled by the people pertained to whites exclusively, excluding all African Americans. Which makes Hughes feel compelled to speak his mind for equality and his birth right freedom, which contains to his poetry. He clearly addresses his point of views about democracy. He doesn't want to wait for freedom; he wants to fight for freedom and make a change. Therefore, he is not too fond of passive individuals who say the following, "Let things take their course, Tomorrow is another day," because that kind of attitude signifies submission. He states that everybody should have the right to exercise their freedom because that's a birthright, for whites, blacks, and whomever. The final three lines - "I live here, too I want freedom Just as you" - need no interpretation, because the clarity of what he wants is obvious. In the poem "Democracy" written by Hughes is one of many great poems to conceive throughout his illustrious poetic life. Written in 1949, he obviously wanted change and equality in the present when he was alive, and not in the future, for a dead man has no right to freedom. Appropriately, he had the view of democracy because blacks were treated badly and had suffered. Basically his poem was trying to state "For one and for all.”
Tania Waller
3rd Period.
Langson Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri. He was born on February 1, 1902. When his parents divorced when he was a small child, his father moved to Mexico. He was then raised by his grandmother until he was thirteen. When he lived in Lincoln, Illinois that he began to write poetry.
He wrote many different short stories, novels, plays, and especially poetry. Hughes was a african american who was living during the time when when they were treated unfairly and unequal.
Hughes wrote two poems called Democracy and Freedom Plow The first poem, Democracy, gives you the feeling of what it was like to be an african american living in a white world. It discusses how eventually things will change to where african americans will be as equal as everyone else. He didn't want to wait until his life was over to finally be free, he wanted his freedom now. The last three lines of this poem state "I live here, too I want freedom, just as you." This is straight forward remark. He is saying how he lives here, just as the whites do. He is a person, just like the whites are, but he doesn't have freedom and the whites do. His second poem, Freedom's Plow was similar to his other poem in general but was showed in a completely different way. It points out that you have to cover after whatever it is you want. You work for those things. He is saying that it was both blacks and whites that build the world we live in today, and blacks did not get any acknowledgement for the things they have done.
The message in Hughes poems is that he wants everyone to have their own individual freedom and not just a selective group.
Taylor Reed
Langston Hughes was an African American poet during the civil rights movement. He was most famous for the poems Democracy and Freedom’s Plow. These two poems focus on the topics of black rights and freedom. To me Democracy is written in a more angry setting then Freedom’s Plow. In Democracy he says things like I do not need freedom when I’m dead, I cannot live on tomorrows bread. This to me makes a very strong statement. I think he is trying to say he can’t keep thinking they are going to give them freedom because when he is dead he won need it.
In the poem Freedoms Plow it does not seem to be in such a strong and angry tone. In this poem he says things about don’t give up it will be over soon, he talks about how the slaves pretty much built and clothed America but yet they are treated like animals.
Langston Hughes was a man that craved freedom for all, and wished for equality among all people. I his poems "Democracy" and "Freedoms Plow", the reader gets a large taste of how he feels, and his views on freedom. He believes that freedom is something that you must work for, because people will always have some sort of prejudice against someone different than themselves, and "freedoms plow" will be worked its' hardest to achieve true peace between all races Because he was an African American individual, he was more aware of the negative feelings that some people had against him, and others, and that shows throughout his poetry. His passion his clearly represented through each of his poems.
Melissa Jackson
5th period
The poems “Democracy” and “Freedom’s Plow” are both about black life in America. “Freedom’s Plow is about slavery. “Democracy” is about democracy. Both poems are about freedom and the African American life during the slave days. Both poems talk about democracy, freedom, and wondering if it will ever come. Langston Hughes was an African American who wrote about black life from the twenties to sixties. Hughes wrote stories of his people in ways that reflected their actual culture, which includes their suffering and love of music and laughter. He reflects his people in his work and talks about the hardships they have suffered in order to get freedom. Both poems discuss the hard work his people went thru, and the freedom the craved. The poems show how much the African Americans prized their freedom then and how they worked for it and longed for their freedom. You tell how Hughes felt about his freedom. In Hughes poem “Freedom’s Plow” Hughes talks about the obstacles and difficulties that they had to come thru to receive their freedom. The poem talked about the hope they had that one day they would have freedom. “Democracy” is about how he felt about freedom and the need for it.
Langston Hughs was born February 1, 1902 in Joplin Missouri during the start of the Halem Ressisance.. His parents divorced when he was very young. Until he was thirteen, Hughs was raised by his grandmother, when he went to live with his mother in Lincoln, Illinois. Later, the entire family moved to Ohio. When Hughs reached adulthood, he went to college, attending three colleges and working many odd jobs before graduating in 1929. By his college graduation he had published a book of poetry, publishing a novel a year later.
Although Hughs lived a relatively short life, dying from prostate cancer in 1967, he left with a huge body of inspiring poems, plays and books. He was a determined, creative individual, who conveyed the changing world as he saw it through his poems. Two of Hughs’ poems, “Freedoms Plow” and “Democracy” are two perfect examples.
Both of these poems are conveying much the same message; never give up and to fight foe what you want. Hughs is trying to say with these poems that nothing will get changed unless something is done to change it. He is saying that if you want something you have to make it happen on your own. These concepts were very present in Hughs’ time, both in his personal world, as well as the bigger world around
Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902, in Joplin Missouri. He was brought up by his grandmother because his parents had divorced early in his life. However at the age of thirteen he moved in with his mother and her new husband, the family then moved to Cleveland, Ohio from Lincoln, Illinois, which is where he began writing poetry. After he had graduated from high school he moved to Mexico and attended Columbia University.
He claimed to have three main influences, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg. Hughes wasn’t just involved in poetry, but short stories and novels as well. In his poems and stories he didn’t want to just reflect his experiences as an African American, but what his race in general experienced. Langston Hughes died on May 22, 1967, from complications due to prostate cancer.
In the poems Democracy and Freedom’s Plow there are many similarities. Such as their meanings are generally very alike, he tends to focus on the struggles of the African Americans involving freedom and their rights as people. Both poems also talk about how in order to get what you want you need to take matters into your own hands and not let time consume you while you’re waiting for everything to fall into place. An example of this is in the poem Freedom’s Plow, when he writes, “I tire so of hearing people say, Let things take their course.
Tomorrow is another day. I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. I cannot live on tomorrow's bread.”, in which he is stating that he wants his rights and freedom now, not years from now. Because he knows that, years from now, once he’s dead and gone, it’s not going to matter to him if there is equal rights for everyone because he won’t be there to experience it.
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