Analysis of Theme of Three of Langston Hughes' Poems and Three of Clude McKay's Poems through Diction.
ABSTRACT
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya akan menganalisis tema dari tiga puisi
karangan Langston Hughes yang berjudul “I, Too,” “I Dream a World” dan
“Merry-Go-Round” melalui diksi. Selain itu, saya juga menganalisis tema dari
tiga puisi karangan Claude McKay yang berjudul “America,” “Enslaved” dan
“The White House,” juga melalui diksi. Keenam puisi tersebut menggambarkan
penderitaan akibat dari praktek segregasi yang dialami oleh warga kulit hitam di
Amerika Serikat dan keinginan mereka untuk memperoleh kesetaraan. Hal ini
diungkapkan oleh Langston Hughes dan Claude McKay melalui gaya penulisan
mereka yang sangat berbeda.
Sebagai
kesimpulan,
saya
berpendapat
bahwa meskipun dengan
menggunakan cara yang bertolak belakang, Langston Hughes dan Claude McKay
sama-sama berhasil menyampaikan pesan kepada para pembaca mereka untuk
tidak menyerah kepada praktek segregasi. Melalui puisi-puisi tersebut, dapat
ditarik kesimpulan bahwa praktek segregasi adalah tindakan yang salah dan setiap
manusia berhak memperjuangkan hak mereka untuk memperoleh perlakuan yang
sama
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..........................................................................
Statement of the Problem..........................................................................
Purpose of the Study.................................................................................
Method of Research..................................................................................
Organization of the Thesis........................................................................
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: THE THEME ANALYSIS OF THREE
OF LANGSTON HUGHES’ POEMS THROUGH DICTION..........
6
CHAPTER THREE: THE THEME ANALYSIS OF THREE
OF CLAUDE MCKAY’S POEMS THROGH DICTION................. 20
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION................................................................. 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................... 38
APPENDICES:
The Poems of Langston Hughes...............................................................
The Poems of Claude McKay...................................................................
Biography of Langston Hughes................................................................
Biography of Claude McKay....................................................................
ii
41
43
46
47
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The United States of America has their own story with segregation, which
is defined as “the policy or practice of separating people of different races,
classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial
facilities, especially as a form of discrimination” (“Segregation”). Segregation
started in 1896, when the Supreme Court legalized the separation of the races “by
its ruling in H.A. Plessy v. J.H. Ferguson, which held that separate but equal
facilities did not violate the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment” (“Brown
v. Board at Fifty: With an Even Hand”). This rule distinctly segregated and
divided white people and black people, causing black people to live in suffering as
victims because they were considered inferior. The act of segregation led to the
inequal practices: “railways and streetcars, public waiting rooms, restaurants,
boardinghouses, theaters, and public parks were segregated; separate schools,
hospitals, and other public institutions, generally of inferior quality, were
1
Maranatha Christian Univesity
designated for blacks” (“Jim Crow Laws”). For many years, black people have
tried to fight for equal rights. They use many ways to make their voice heard, one
of them is through literature. Taking place in Harlem, the northern part of New
York, Harlem Renaissance was “burgeoning as an intellectual movement of black
people protest towards their hardship” (“Harlem Renaissance”). The Harlem
Renaissance is the name to “the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took
place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s”
(“The Harlem Renaissance”). Members of the movement, such as Langston
Hughes, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen and Jean Toomer flourished and became
influential figures in shaping the black people literature. Among those figures,
there were two writers that share similarities and differences worth comparing,
namely Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. That is why I choose some of their
works to be analyzed in my thesis.
The first author whose works I am going to analyze is Langston Hughes.
Even though Harlem Renaissance had many prominent and talented writers during
his era, Hughes was able to prove himself as an exceptional author, as stated that
“Langston Hughes, although only twenty-four years old, he is already
conspicuous in the group of Negro intellectuals who are dignifying Harlem with a
genuine art life” (“Langston Hughes”). Hughes had created many works
especially in writing poetry. He used free verse in his poems and some of them
were combined with blues and jazz music. Hughes’ inspiration of using blues and
jazz came from Harlem. His inspiration emerged from the sceneries and sounds he
had seen from his surroundings, “he is spending his hours in the nightclubs of
2
Maranatha Christian Univesity
Harlem and Washington, D.C., listening and writing, he tried to write poems like
the songs they sang on Seventh Street” (“Langston Hughes: The songs on Seventh
Street”). Most of Hughes’ poems dealt with the harsh discrimination of black
people by white people and his discontent with the law of segregation. Hughes’
poems contained spirit of equality and he wanted to persuade his people to not
easily surrender to segregation. Hughes, who had white ancestors, believed that
human is created equal. Hughes’ poems that I am going to analyze are “I, Too,” “I
Dream a World” and “Merry-Go-Round.” I choose to analyze them because the
three poems strongly show the issue of segregation when black people received
unfair treatment by white people.
The second writer whose works I am going to analyze is Claude McKay.
His poems published in Harlem Shadow collection are widely famous and are
considered a great work from the Harlem Renaissance; even some critics have
called it “the first great literary achievement of the Harlem Renaissance”
(“African American Literature”). He was also known for using sonnet form
because he wanted “his poetry to be far-reaching and understandable by other
poets of his day, namely white poets” (“Claude McKay Vs Langston Hughes”).
Through his poems, he blatantly expressed his hatred towards white society and
his discontent against segregation, which he believed only gave suffering to black
people. He also wanted to encourage black people to fight for equality. I choose
McKay poems’ “America,” “The White House” and “Enslaved” to be analyzed
because the three poems show that segregation is wrong. The poems show the
3
Maranatha Christian Univesity
harsh reality, which can be seen full of grudge and hate, black people received
caused by segregation,
In my thesis, I would like to analyze theme through poetic diction because
both of the poets have successfully chosen proper words to describe the unfair
treatment that black people had during segregation era. Diction itself refers to
“Both the choice and the order of words” (“Definition of Diction”). Diction will
guide the readers to grasp the theme, which is defined as “the central idea or ideas
explored by a literary work” (Wiehardt). The theme will display the poets’ point
of view as black people and will show that black people should not easily give up
against inequality.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. What are the themes of the poems?
2. How do the dictions of the poems help in revealing the themes?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1. To show the themes of the poems.
2. To show how the dictions help in revealing the themes.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
I conduct a library research for my thesis. First, I read the poems. After
that I analyze the theme of these poems through the dictions. Then, I search for a
4
Maranatha Christian Univesity
number of references from books and Internet websites to help me with my
analysis. In the end, I draw a conclusion from my analysis.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide my thesis into three parts, preceded by the Acknowledgments, the
Abstract, and the Table of Contents. Chapter One is the Introduction, which
consists of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, The Method of Research, and The Organization of the
Thesis. Chapter Two is the Theme Analysis of Three of Langston Hughes’ Poems.
Chapter Three is the Theme Analysis of Three of Claude McKay’s Poems.
Chapter Four is the Conclusion. The thesis ends with Bibliography and
Appendices, which contain Langston Hughes’ and Claude McKay’s poems and
the Biographies of Langston Hughes and Claude McKay.
5
Maranatha Christian Univesity
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I am going to draw a conclusion on my analysis of three of
Langston Hughes’ poems and three of Claude McKay’s poems revealed through
diction. The poems from Langston Hughes that I have analyzed in Chapter Two
are: “I,Too,” “I Dream a World” and “Merry-Go-Round” while the poems from
Claude McKay that I have analyzed in the chapter three are: “America,”
“Enslaved” and “The White House”.
The theme of Hughes’ “I,Too” is “Despite the unequal treatment that black
people receive, they remain hopeful and believe they will get equality because
they are part of America,” and it is revealed through words, such as “brother,”
“grow strong,” “tomorrow” and “I, too am America.” The persona is a black
person who is treated unequally in his country. However, he has a hope that
makes him not want to succumb as he believes in the end white people will realize
that black people are Americans too and they will be treated equally.
34
Maranatha Christian University
The theme of Hughes’ “I Dream a World” is “Despite the unequal
treatment that black people receive, they have to stay optimistic and believe that
in the end they will get equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as
“dream,” “share,” “freedom” and “wretchedness will hang its head.” The persona
has a dream that one day white people will treat black people equally, no matter
what their skin colors are, so, they can share love and peace together and in the
end every man in this world can taste freedom.
The theme of Hughes’ “Merry-Go-Round” is “Despite the unequal
treatment black people receive, they have to stay critical and believe they will get
equality in the end,” and it is revealed through words, such as “Jim Crow section,”
“On the bus we’re put in the back” and “but there ain’t no back to a merry-goround.” The persona is a black child who received an unequal treatment when he
was still living in the south. The child is shown to be confused when he asks
where the Jim Crow section on the merry-go-round is. The child wonders where
he has to sit because merry-go-round does not have fore nor rear. It shows us not
all of things can be separated and it empowers black people to not easily surrender
to situation.
The theme of Claude McKay’s “America” is “Bitterness motivates black
people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as
“bitterness,” “erect against her hate” and “rebel.” The persona is a black person
who receives bad treatment in America. However, he uses his bitterness from this
bad treatment to fight for this situation so in the end they could receive equality.
35
Maranatha Christian University
The theme of Claude McKay’ “Enslaved” is “Suffering motivates black
people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as “long
suffering,” “robbed,” “avenging angel” and “yoke.” who has a reflection of what
has happened to his race since a long time ago. He also feels the suffering that
befalls his race and makes him want to fight for equality.
The theme of Claude McKay’ “The White House” is “Rage motivates
black people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as “My
anger proudly and unbent,” “wrathful” and “superhuman power.” The persona is a
black person who is struggling under white people’s bad treatment. Deep inside
his heart he feels this rage and he uses it to find wisdom so one day he could
receives equality.
After analyzing the poems from Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, I
found several similarities. First, both of the authors are Harlem Renaissance
writers. Second, they wrote the poems about bad treatment that black people
receive from white people. Third, both of the poets have the same messages to
remind black people to remain strong under the oppression and that they will get
the equality at the end.
But, besides the similarities, there is one difference between the poems
written by Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. Hughes’ poems reflect a positive
attitude in delivering the author’s message about fighting for equality. These
poems depict hope and optimism, so black people could have the courage to keep
pursuing equality, despite the harsh reality they receive because of segregation.
On the other hand, McKay’s poems reflect a negative attitude. These poems
36
Maranatha Christian University
depict hate, revenge and anger. However, McKay’s intention is not to tell black
people to give up. Instead, he wants to make black people realize their suffering
and fight to reach equality.
As a conclusion, I believe Hughes and McKay have the same purpose to
encourage black people to remain strong to get equality. However, they are using
different ways to convey their messages, as reflected in the dictions and the
themes of their poems.
In my opinion, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay are both skillful in
expressing their disagreement towards segregation despite their different-yet
effective-ways. However, I prefer Langston Hughes’ idea about being positive in
all situation especially under bad treatment as I believe having a positive attitude
will boost your performance and give you a hope that tomorrow will be better
than today. My favorite poem from Hughes is “Merry-Go-Round” because it
teaches me to be more critical in every situation and not to easily accept
everything that only gives disadvantage.
37
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
“Claude Mckay.” Poem Hunter.com. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poem Hunter.com. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
References:
“10 Truly Awful Ways to be Killed by an Animal.” Listverse. 2010. Web. 6 May
2015.
“African American Literature.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2014. Web.1 May
2014.
“Beautiful.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Black history Month: Jim Crow - a legacy of Injustice.” United Electrical. 2014.
Web. 3 June 2014.
“Bless.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Brown v. Board at fifty: With an Even Hand.” Library of Congress. n.d. Web. 20
Feb. 2015.
“Claude McKay.” Biography. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
38
Maranatha Christian University
“Claude McKay Vs Langston Hughes.” Modern Poetry. 2014. Web. 3 June 2014.
“Critical Approaches to Literature.” English205: Masterwork of English
Literature. 1997. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Culture.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Definition of Diction.” Bedford St.Martin’s. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Dream.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Giles, Freda S. “Claude McKay’s Life.” Modern American Poetry. 2000. Web. 28
Mar. 2014.
“Harlem Renaissance.” History.com. 1991. Web. 28 Jun. 2015.
“Jim Crow Laws.” Infoplease. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Joyner, Charles. “Down by the Riverside.” Google books. Urbana: University of
Illinois Press, 1985. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
Kozel, Joseph J. “Hughes, (James Mercer) Langston.” PSU.edu. 2004. Web.
28 Mar. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poetry Foundation. 2014. Web. 1 May. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poets.org. n.d. Web. 1 May. 2014.
“Langston Hughes: The Songs on Seven Street.” Poets.org. n.d.
Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
“Lead.” Lenntech. 2015. Web. 26 May 2015.
“Merry-Go-Round.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Remen, Rachel Naomi. “Pearl of Wisdom.” Living Live Fully. n.d.
Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
39
Maranatha Christian University
“Segregation.” The Free Dictionary. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
“Separate is not Equal.” Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
“Superhuman.” The Free Dictionary. 2015. Web. 14 May 2015.
“The Exclamation Mark.” Western Michigan University. n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
“The Harlem Renaissance.” Public Broadcasting Service. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.
“Tiger symbolism and meaning.” Universe of Symbolism. 2015. Web. 7 May
2015.
“Uses of Granite.” Geology.com. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
“Vital.” The Free Dictionary. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Theme.” About.com. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Wretchedness.” The Free Dictionary. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
“Yoke.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
40
Maranatha Christian University
Dalam tugas akhir ini saya akan menganalisis tema dari tiga puisi
karangan Langston Hughes yang berjudul “I, Too,” “I Dream a World” dan
“Merry-Go-Round” melalui diksi. Selain itu, saya juga menganalisis tema dari
tiga puisi karangan Claude McKay yang berjudul “America,” “Enslaved” dan
“The White House,” juga melalui diksi. Keenam puisi tersebut menggambarkan
penderitaan akibat dari praktek segregasi yang dialami oleh warga kulit hitam di
Amerika Serikat dan keinginan mereka untuk memperoleh kesetaraan. Hal ini
diungkapkan oleh Langston Hughes dan Claude McKay melalui gaya penulisan
mereka yang sangat berbeda.
Sebagai
kesimpulan,
saya
berpendapat
bahwa meskipun dengan
menggunakan cara yang bertolak belakang, Langston Hughes dan Claude McKay
sama-sama berhasil menyampaikan pesan kepada para pembaca mereka untuk
tidak menyerah kepada praktek segregasi. Melalui puisi-puisi tersebut, dapat
ditarik kesimpulan bahwa praktek segregasi adalah tindakan yang salah dan setiap
manusia berhak memperjuangkan hak mereka untuk memperoleh perlakuan yang
sama
iii
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................................................
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................... ii
ABSTRACT......................................................................................................... iii
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study..........................................................................
Statement of the Problem..........................................................................
Purpose of the Study.................................................................................
Method of Research..................................................................................
Organization of the Thesis........................................................................
1
4
4
4
5
CHAPTER TWO: THE THEME ANALYSIS OF THREE
OF LANGSTON HUGHES’ POEMS THROUGH DICTION..........
6
CHAPTER THREE: THE THEME ANALYSIS OF THREE
OF CLAUDE MCKAY’S POEMS THROGH DICTION................. 20
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION................................................................. 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................... 38
APPENDICES:
The Poems of Langston Hughes...............................................................
The Poems of Claude McKay...................................................................
Biography of Langston Hughes................................................................
Biography of Claude McKay....................................................................
ii
41
43
46
47
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The United States of America has their own story with segregation, which
is defined as “the policy or practice of separating people of different races,
classes, or ethnic groups, as in schools, housing, and public or commercial
facilities, especially as a form of discrimination” (“Segregation”). Segregation
started in 1896, when the Supreme Court legalized the separation of the races “by
its ruling in H.A. Plessy v. J.H. Ferguson, which held that separate but equal
facilities did not violate the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment” (“Brown
v. Board at Fifty: With an Even Hand”). This rule distinctly segregated and
divided white people and black people, causing black people to live in suffering as
victims because they were considered inferior. The act of segregation led to the
inequal practices: “railways and streetcars, public waiting rooms, restaurants,
boardinghouses, theaters, and public parks were segregated; separate schools,
hospitals, and other public institutions, generally of inferior quality, were
1
Maranatha Christian Univesity
designated for blacks” (“Jim Crow Laws”). For many years, black people have
tried to fight for equal rights. They use many ways to make their voice heard, one
of them is through literature. Taking place in Harlem, the northern part of New
York, Harlem Renaissance was “burgeoning as an intellectual movement of black
people protest towards their hardship” (“Harlem Renaissance”). The Harlem
Renaissance is the name to “the cultural, social, and artistic explosion that took
place in Harlem between the end of World War I and the middle of the 1930s”
(“The Harlem Renaissance”). Members of the movement, such as Langston
Hughes, Claude McKay, Countee Cullen and Jean Toomer flourished and became
influential figures in shaping the black people literature. Among those figures,
there were two writers that share similarities and differences worth comparing,
namely Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. That is why I choose some of their
works to be analyzed in my thesis.
The first author whose works I am going to analyze is Langston Hughes.
Even though Harlem Renaissance had many prominent and talented writers during
his era, Hughes was able to prove himself as an exceptional author, as stated that
“Langston Hughes, although only twenty-four years old, he is already
conspicuous in the group of Negro intellectuals who are dignifying Harlem with a
genuine art life” (“Langston Hughes”). Hughes had created many works
especially in writing poetry. He used free verse in his poems and some of them
were combined with blues and jazz music. Hughes’ inspiration of using blues and
jazz came from Harlem. His inspiration emerged from the sceneries and sounds he
had seen from his surroundings, “he is spending his hours in the nightclubs of
2
Maranatha Christian Univesity
Harlem and Washington, D.C., listening and writing, he tried to write poems like
the songs they sang on Seventh Street” (“Langston Hughes: The songs on Seventh
Street”). Most of Hughes’ poems dealt with the harsh discrimination of black
people by white people and his discontent with the law of segregation. Hughes’
poems contained spirit of equality and he wanted to persuade his people to not
easily surrender to segregation. Hughes, who had white ancestors, believed that
human is created equal. Hughes’ poems that I am going to analyze are “I, Too,” “I
Dream a World” and “Merry-Go-Round.” I choose to analyze them because the
three poems strongly show the issue of segregation when black people received
unfair treatment by white people.
The second writer whose works I am going to analyze is Claude McKay.
His poems published in Harlem Shadow collection are widely famous and are
considered a great work from the Harlem Renaissance; even some critics have
called it “the first great literary achievement of the Harlem Renaissance”
(“African American Literature”). He was also known for using sonnet form
because he wanted “his poetry to be far-reaching and understandable by other
poets of his day, namely white poets” (“Claude McKay Vs Langston Hughes”).
Through his poems, he blatantly expressed his hatred towards white society and
his discontent against segregation, which he believed only gave suffering to black
people. He also wanted to encourage black people to fight for equality. I choose
McKay poems’ “America,” “The White House” and “Enslaved” to be analyzed
because the three poems show that segregation is wrong. The poems show the
3
Maranatha Christian Univesity
harsh reality, which can be seen full of grudge and hate, black people received
caused by segregation,
In my thesis, I would like to analyze theme through poetic diction because
both of the poets have successfully chosen proper words to describe the unfair
treatment that black people had during segregation era. Diction itself refers to
“Both the choice and the order of words” (“Definition of Diction”). Diction will
guide the readers to grasp the theme, which is defined as “the central idea or ideas
explored by a literary work” (Wiehardt). The theme will display the poets’ point
of view as black people and will show that black people should not easily give up
against inequality.
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
1. What are the themes of the poems?
2. How do the dictions of the poems help in revealing the themes?
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
1. To show the themes of the poems.
2. To show how the dictions help in revealing the themes.
METHOD OF RESEARCH
I conduct a library research for my thesis. First, I read the poems. After
that I analyze the theme of these poems through the dictions. Then, I search for a
4
Maranatha Christian Univesity
number of references from books and Internet websites to help me with my
analysis. In the end, I draw a conclusion from my analysis.
ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS
I divide my thesis into three parts, preceded by the Acknowledgments, the
Abstract, and the Table of Contents. Chapter One is the Introduction, which
consists of the Background of the Study, the Statement of the Problem, the
Purpose of the Study, The Method of Research, and The Organization of the
Thesis. Chapter Two is the Theme Analysis of Three of Langston Hughes’ Poems.
Chapter Three is the Theme Analysis of Three of Claude McKay’s Poems.
Chapter Four is the Conclusion. The thesis ends with Bibliography and
Appendices, which contain Langston Hughes’ and Claude McKay’s poems and
the Biographies of Langston Hughes and Claude McKay.
5
Maranatha Christian Univesity
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I am going to draw a conclusion on my analysis of three of
Langston Hughes’ poems and three of Claude McKay’s poems revealed through
diction. The poems from Langston Hughes that I have analyzed in Chapter Two
are: “I,Too,” “I Dream a World” and “Merry-Go-Round” while the poems from
Claude McKay that I have analyzed in the chapter three are: “America,”
“Enslaved” and “The White House”.
The theme of Hughes’ “I,Too” is “Despite the unequal treatment that black
people receive, they remain hopeful and believe they will get equality because
they are part of America,” and it is revealed through words, such as “brother,”
“grow strong,” “tomorrow” and “I, too am America.” The persona is a black
person who is treated unequally in his country. However, he has a hope that
makes him not want to succumb as he believes in the end white people will realize
that black people are Americans too and they will be treated equally.
34
Maranatha Christian University
The theme of Hughes’ “I Dream a World” is “Despite the unequal
treatment that black people receive, they have to stay optimistic and believe that
in the end they will get equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as
“dream,” “share,” “freedom” and “wretchedness will hang its head.” The persona
has a dream that one day white people will treat black people equally, no matter
what their skin colors are, so, they can share love and peace together and in the
end every man in this world can taste freedom.
The theme of Hughes’ “Merry-Go-Round” is “Despite the unequal
treatment black people receive, they have to stay critical and believe they will get
equality in the end,” and it is revealed through words, such as “Jim Crow section,”
“On the bus we’re put in the back” and “but there ain’t no back to a merry-goround.” The persona is a black child who received an unequal treatment when he
was still living in the south. The child is shown to be confused when he asks
where the Jim Crow section on the merry-go-round is. The child wonders where
he has to sit because merry-go-round does not have fore nor rear. It shows us not
all of things can be separated and it empowers black people to not easily surrender
to situation.
The theme of Claude McKay’s “America” is “Bitterness motivates black
people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as
“bitterness,” “erect against her hate” and “rebel.” The persona is a black person
who receives bad treatment in America. However, he uses his bitterness from this
bad treatment to fight for this situation so in the end they could receive equality.
35
Maranatha Christian University
The theme of Claude McKay’ “Enslaved” is “Suffering motivates black
people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as “long
suffering,” “robbed,” “avenging angel” and “yoke.” who has a reflection of what
has happened to his race since a long time ago. He also feels the suffering that
befalls his race and makes him want to fight for equality.
The theme of Claude McKay’ “The White House” is “Rage motivates
black people to fight for equality,” and it is revealed through words, such as “My
anger proudly and unbent,” “wrathful” and “superhuman power.” The persona is a
black person who is struggling under white people’s bad treatment. Deep inside
his heart he feels this rage and he uses it to find wisdom so one day he could
receives equality.
After analyzing the poems from Langston Hughes and Claude McKay, I
found several similarities. First, both of the authors are Harlem Renaissance
writers. Second, they wrote the poems about bad treatment that black people
receive from white people. Third, both of the poets have the same messages to
remind black people to remain strong under the oppression and that they will get
the equality at the end.
But, besides the similarities, there is one difference between the poems
written by Langston Hughes and Claude McKay. Hughes’ poems reflect a positive
attitude in delivering the author’s message about fighting for equality. These
poems depict hope and optimism, so black people could have the courage to keep
pursuing equality, despite the harsh reality they receive because of segregation.
On the other hand, McKay’s poems reflect a negative attitude. These poems
36
Maranatha Christian University
depict hate, revenge and anger. However, McKay’s intention is not to tell black
people to give up. Instead, he wants to make black people realize their suffering
and fight to reach equality.
As a conclusion, I believe Hughes and McKay have the same purpose to
encourage black people to remain strong to get equality. However, they are using
different ways to convey their messages, as reflected in the dictions and the
themes of their poems.
In my opinion, Langston Hughes and Claude McKay are both skillful in
expressing their disagreement towards segregation despite their different-yet
effective-ways. However, I prefer Langston Hughes’ idea about being positive in
all situation especially under bad treatment as I believe having a positive attitude
will boost your performance and give you a hope that tomorrow will be better
than today. My favorite poem from Hughes is “Merry-Go-Round” because it
teaches me to be more critical in every situation and not to easily accept
everything that only gives disadvantage.
37
Maranatha Christian University
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Text:
“Claude Mckay.” Poem Hunter.com. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poem Hunter.com. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
References:
“10 Truly Awful Ways to be Killed by an Animal.” Listverse. 2010. Web. 6 May
2015.
“African American Literature.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2014. Web.1 May
2014.
“Beautiful.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Black history Month: Jim Crow - a legacy of Injustice.” United Electrical. 2014.
Web. 3 June 2014.
“Bless.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Brown v. Board at fifty: With an Even Hand.” Library of Congress. n.d. Web. 20
Feb. 2015.
“Claude McKay.” Biography. 2014. Web. 28 Mar. 2014.
38
Maranatha Christian University
“Claude McKay Vs Langston Hughes.” Modern Poetry. 2014. Web. 3 June 2014.
“Critical Approaches to Literature.” English205: Masterwork of English
Literature. 1997. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Culture.” Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. 8th ed. 2010. Print.
“Definition of Diction.” Bedford St.Martin’s. n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Dream.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Giles, Freda S. “Claude McKay’s Life.” Modern American Poetry. 2000. Web. 28
Mar. 2014.
“Harlem Renaissance.” History.com. 1991. Web. 28 Jun. 2015.
“Jim Crow Laws.” Infoplease. 2015. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
Joyner, Charles. “Down by the Riverside.” Google books. Urbana: University of
Illinois Press, 1985. Web. 18 Mar. 2015.
Kozel, Joseph J. “Hughes, (James Mercer) Langston.” PSU.edu. 2004. Web.
28 Mar. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poetry Foundation. 2014. Web. 1 May. 2014.
“Langston Hughes.” Poets.org. n.d. Web. 1 May. 2014.
“Langston Hughes: The Songs on Seven Street.” Poets.org. n.d.
Web. 27 Feb. 2015.
“Lead.” Lenntech. 2015. Web. 26 May 2015.
“Merry-Go-Round.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
Remen, Rachel Naomi. “Pearl of Wisdom.” Living Live Fully. n.d.
Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
39
Maranatha Christian University
“Segregation.” The Free Dictionary. 2015. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
“Separate is not Equal.” Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.
“Superhuman.” The Free Dictionary. 2015. Web. 14 May 2015.
“The Exclamation Mark.” Western Michigan University. n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2015.
“The Harlem Renaissance.” Public Broadcasting Service. 2014. Web. 1 May 2014.
“Tiger symbolism and meaning.” Universe of Symbolism. 2015. Web. 7 May
2015.
“Uses of Granite.” Geology.com. 2015. Web. 27 Apr. 2015.
“Vital.” The Free Dictionary. 2014. Web. 29 Nov. 2014.
Wiehardt, Ginny. “Theme.” About.com. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
“Wretchedness.” The Free Dictionary. 2014. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
“Yoke.” Oxford Dictionaries. 2014. Web. 24 Oct. 2014.
40
Maranatha Christian University