Langston Hughes Essays

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore– And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over– like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it …

When Langston Hughes at age 21 sailed for Africa the first time, it was accidental: he greatly wanted to escape all the sad memories of his youth at the time. His mother and stepfather were caught in a vise of poverty and the irregular search for better jobs; his father, …

“Salvation” was written by Langston Hughes. This story is about when Hughes going on thirteen, he was saved from sin. However, his not really saved. Church had had a special meeting for children. The meeting was about to bring the young sinner who had not yet been brought to Jesus. …

“Salvation” is a short story which appears in the autobiography “The Big Sea” by Langston Hughes.  In  the story, a twelve year old boy learns a very difficult lesson when attending a church service and the experiences described in the story as well as the fresh language used to describe …

In the two poems we read, “homage to my hips” and “Barbie Doll”, the speakers both face problems yet choose to deal with them with opposing actions. In the poem “Barbie Doll” a young girl who is constantly facing the opinionated and ever-changing image of “perfect beauty” is driven to …

Langston Hughes was an American poet and innovator of the art form of jazz poetry. I will analyze and give some insight into the meaning of his poets for the point known as the Harlem Renaissance. “The Nergo Speaks of the River” Speaking for the people of Africa. The “I” …

It is very difficult to desire things in life and not be able to afford them. Regardless of how wealthy a person is, there is usually something that is out of reach. The short story “Thank You M’am” by Langston Hughes looks at this very problem, wanting something that is …

‘Thank you Ma’m’ is a short story written by a male African-American writer, Langston Hughes, around 1930’s where the racism was a big issue in the U.S. society. The story talks about an unexpected meeting between Mrs. Luella Jones Bates Washington Jones, a tough and independent black lady, and Roger, …

“The Tender Place” is an affectionate poem in which Ted Hughes contemplates and describes the Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) inflicted on Sylvia Plath. The human impulse behind this poem is to bring across the negative impact and effects this anti-depression therapy has on her. Through this poem, the horror and needless …

Most people have expectations of how something is going to turn out. When things do not turn out the way, we want them to turn out; the feeling of disappointment takes over. That is a coincidence when I read “Salvation” written by Langston Hughes because I run into my feeling …