Select two poems by Langston Hughes from the list. For each poem you select, include the title, as well as a paragraph. Your paragraph should include...

Langston Hughes is one of my favorite poets
to read, so I'm happy to share with you a couple of my favorites. But do note that the Elements
oflink that is included in this assignment applies more to short stories and novels than poetry.
I'm assuming that your instructor is actually looking to see that you can identify some of the
poetic techniques in each poem, so I'll provide some comments on each of those.

"Mother to Son" is a wonderful poem utilizing colloquial
language to convey some truths about life's difficulties. The language lends an
easy, conversational cadence to the poem, similar to what any mother might employ. As the title
suggests, the speaker is a mother who is talking to her son. There are lots of
metaphors in this poem, including "Life for me aint been no
crystal stair." In this example, a crystal stair connotes the easy life, one of delicate
simplicity. A crystal stair could not take any pressure, or it would crumble. Instead, this
mother has faced "splinters" and "places with no carpet on the floor." These
are metaphors for pain and emptiness. The poem has a tone of
resilience; the mother is strong, refusing to give up just because life is "kinder
hard."

"Let America Be America Again" is another poem with
great meaning. In this poem, there are two distinct voices. Most of
the poem is told by one speaker, an African American who feels invalidated by the current state
of America. His inner voice is noted by the comments in parentheses, as he silently questions
the idea of the great American dream. He feels that the great riches of opportunity in America
have never been fully extended to him. His inner voice shifts to become his outspoken voice when
questioned by a second voice, the one in italics. This voice asks who dares to question the
greatness of America, and the main speaker then begins to list all of the oppressed people who
do not share in the realization of the American dream:

I
am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,

I am the Negro bearing
slavery's scars.

I am the red man driven from the land,

I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek.

The poem's tone shifts several times. It begins as a
poem of resentment, noted in the questions within parentheses. It then changes to anger, noting
the various groups who have toiled with great effort on behalf of America yet not realizing
their own dreams. And it ends in hope that "yet I swear this oath / America will be."
There is also repetition in this poem to remind readers of the
diverse population that exists in America and struggles to keep working toward an American
Dream:

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not
me? The millions on relief today?
The
millions shot down when we strike?
The
millions who have nothing for our pay?

There are some excellent poems by Langston Hughes included on this list. Take some
time to read through a few more and see which ones really speak to you. You can also use the
link below to determine what poetic devices might be present in other
poems. href="https://www.chaparralpoets.org/devices.pdf">https://www.chaparralpoets.org/devices.pdf