Questions to consider:
- What about Langston Hugues's poetry would you consider to be inspired/influenced by jazz? Explain.
- How does Hughes's racial consciousness affect his writing?
Dream Variations
To fling my arms wide
In some place of the sun,
To whirl and to dance
Till the white day is done.
Then rest at cool evening
Beneath a tall tree
While night comes on gently,
Dark like me--
That is my dream!
To fling my arms wide
In the face of the sun,
Dance! Whirl! Whirl!
Till the quick day is done.
Rest at pale evening . . .
A tall, slim tree . . .
Night coming tenderly
Black like me.Dream Boogie
Good morning, daddy!
Ain't you heard
The boogie-woogie rumble
Of a dream deferred?
Listen closely:
You'll hear their feet
Beating out and beating out a -
You think
It's a happy beat?
Listen to it closely:
Ain't you heard
something underneath
like a -
What did I say?
Sure,
I'm happy!
Take it away!
Hey, pop!
Re-bop!
Mop!
Y-e-a-h!
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ReplyDeleteBoth of Langaston Hughes poems were nice. The Jazz Age has influence on the dancing he was describing in 'Dream Variations' and 'Dream Bougie'. His racial consciousness affected in 'Dream Variations' in the simile, "Then rest...Dark like me" describes his pride of being black and him comparing the night he likes to rest in to his skin color. Also, in 'Dream Boogie', the 'bougie woogie rumble' shows his appreication for music and dance from the lines, "What did I say? Sure, I'm happy! Take it away!" -Carlos Norwood
ReplyDeleteLangston Hughes is a great poet and yet he did not paint a picture in these poems, but he painted an emotion. He does not complain about the racial struggle, but it seems that he knows change is taking motion. I also believe that jazz had influenced his writing in Dream Boogie. It seems that the tall tree symbolizes his home where he returns by night fall. He also compares himself with the color of night where he is of a dark color. He there is a repetition where he expresses a happy mood of a dance or just joy.
ReplyDelete-Richard Li
I object to dream presented by Mr. Langston Hugues. To be able to be free in both worlds of white and black is preposterous. To form a proverbial sunset in one’s own life by being comfortable in both white and black worlds? Why would anyone want this dream? To be free and equal among all things and vice versa; why live this dream when one can easily be happy in the brutal segregation of living by night. The terrible, loud, and painful segregation of light and dark is needed, for if we don't separate them we will have mixed colors. The beautiful greens and light browns for which only a sunset can breed must never be seen; for if they are no more cries in the night would be heard. They will be gone along with the bebops of night and will leave us enjoying a fool s dream instead of violently bebopin the night away. However scary this idea is, it is easy to see that this dream by Mr. Langston Hugues is being enjoyed by all in this day in age and the quarreling re-bop by a segregated night and day has been dulled to a faint whisper in the night. With this roar gone we have been put to sleep thankfully by the help of many great leaders including this profound poet.-Ian DeRamus
ReplyDeleteRichard, though I disagree with you about the first poem painting a picture your ability to see through the metaphor and about him referring to his home as a tree. the use of night to refer to his skin does seem like a correct observation and i also tried to put this idea in my response though i addressed it in an ironic i believe we are on the same page.- Ian Deramus
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ReplyDeleteWhen I read the poem Dream Variations i dont totally get where he is coming from. It's as if he is happy in the day and depressed at night. I also wonder if perhaps there's a racial under tone since he compares the night to being dark like him and black like him. ~James Payne
ReplyDelete@Carlos & James: You have both detected the comparison Hughes’s speaker makes between himself and the night. It may be difficult to understand where the speaker is coming from since we do not live during the Harlem Renaissance, but the speaker’s social status is definitely affecting his tone. The speaker feels comfort in environments that he feels he can relate to.
ReplyDelete@Richard: I like your opinion that Hughes paints an emotion rather than a picture! While I agree with your analysis of the first poem, I believe that there is a hint of sarcasm in “Dream Boogie.” What is the sound of a dream deferred (a dream that has not been achieved)?
@Ian: Your response is prosaic and indeed ironic. (And perhaps paradoxical as well. A paradox is something true that we would not think of as true. You are truly agreeing with Hughes’s speaker; however, you wouldn’t think so at first!)