Langston and Brooks
Both Langston and Brooks write about the African American experience. Hughes began his career in the optimistic milieu of 1920s Harlem; Brooks, who met and was inspired by Hughes, in 1940s Chicago. Choose one of the following options as the basis of a 300-word comparison in both their ideas and poetic style:
1. Compare the idea of the “dream” of African American equality in Hughes’ “Dream Variations” (1932) and/or “Harlem (1951) and Brooks’ “The Kitchenette Building” (1945).
2. A ballad is a narrative poem telling the story of a folk hero. They always use four line, rhymed stanzas, and are often written in dialect. Compare Hughes’ “Ballad of the Landlord” (1940) and Brooks’ “Ballad of Rudolf Reed” (1963) paying particular attention to the how each poem presents the idea of an African American “hero.”
Compare the use of speaker in Hughes’ “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1921) and Brooks “We Real Cool” (1963).
• My writing:
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” (William Butler Yeats) Although we may face some obstacles in our lives, our dreams once would come true. The African American community in the United State faced an awful discrimination in their past. Many black and white Americans have fought this racial discrimination by whatever way they were able to (protesting, establishing organization, or even art). By their poems Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks both contributed in relatively moving this suffering out of the African American life. Every community has its dream, each person also has their dream, but how would a dream look like in an injustice environment. In “Harlem” by Hughes and “The Kitchenette Building” by brooks each poet captures the reality of the African American dream at that time. However, each poet has its own take on the African American dream. Regarding the fact that there is approximately ten years gab between the two poets, it would be valuable to compare the idea of “Dream” in these two poets.
In “Harlem” by Hughes one can see the melancholy take on the whole idea of the African American dream. The speaker who seems to be wise and educated is wondering about “what happens to a dream deferred?” a question without an answer I think our speaker is asking. The speaker proceeds in their wonder and asks if the dream dry up or run or whether the dream stink or sags. Finally, our speaker is wounding if it does explode! The sad terrifying image of the dream we here in the speaker tone indicates the ruthlessness of the African American life. African American could not simply pursue their dreams due to the oppression they faced from their white peers. The gloomy confused tone of the idea of dream in Hughes’ “Harlem” suggests that the African American “dream” would be be pursued in a healthy environment where there is no persecution nor segregation.It’s crucial to note that the speaker has not signified a definite dream through the poet. I suggestion for the dream meant in the poet might be the dream for any human of a dignified life.
The melancholy tone of the African American dream seems to be predominating in the African American intellectuals at that time. In her poet “The Kitchenette Building” Brooks seems to be taking the same angle in looking to the idea of dream as Hughes in “Harlem”. Through the poet Brooks or the speaker in the poet is pondering if a dream can survive against oppression and poverty. Through “The Kitchenette Building” we can notice that what blockage the African American dream is the harshness of satisfying their daily needs. We can see that through the fourth to the fifth stanzas
“But could a dream sent up through onion fumes
Its white and violet, fight with fried potatoes
And yesterday’s garbage ripening in the hall,
Flutter, or sing an aria down these rooms,”
The despondent tone in Brooks voice in the poet suggests also African American would hardly be able to achieve there dreams due to the struggle in their daily life.
In the both poets, we can see how dreaming seems to be hard for a persecuted community. To be able to reach a dream one should has the freedom, the right environment, and most of all the time to think and starting approaching their dreams.
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