Explications Analysis Race Negro

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CHAPTER III THE ANALYSISIS OF POEMS

A. Negro

I am a Negro 1 Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa. I’ve been a slave: Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean. 5 I brushed the boots of Washington. I’ve been a worker: Under my hand the pyramids arose. I made mortar for the Woolworth Building. I’ve been a singer 10 All the way from Africa to Georgia I carried my sorrow songs. I made ragtime. I’ve been a victim: The Belgians cut off my hands in the Congo. 15 They lynch me still in Mississippi. I am a Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa. 19

1. Explications

Negro is a poet that is written by Langston Hughes in 1926. It is reflected to the history of African American, trials, and tribulation they endured in the past and continue to endure in the present. In this poem, “I” is described to all African American. In this poem “I” as African American, Its could be seen from line “I am a Negro Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa.” Its line 25 shows that the speaker in this poem “I” as one black man, as the entire black race throughout history.

2. Analysis Race

Negro is a poet that is written by Langston Hughes, it is described about history of African American as slave in the time of Caesar era until Washington. The African American in this poem is described as a poor man and suffer life it’s different with the other race. I’ve been a slave: Caesar told me to keep his door-steps clean. I brushed the boots of Washington. Line 4-6 The analysis “I” in this line is race of a tribe and breed, “Caesar” and “Washington” indicated that African American having been slave during that time because Caesar and Washington are symbol of period. In this poem, African American described also as a worker but still as a poor people, we could see from the line 7-9. I’ve been a worker: Under my hand the pyramids arose. I made mortar for the Woolworth Building. In the word “the pyramids arose” and the word “the Woolworth Building” is reflected to the era and different time so African American as a worker from the pyramid arose until the Woolworth Building. In the next of other period the African American has changed as singer and good condition if we compare with the period before as slave and worker. I’ve been a singer All the way from Africa to Georgia I carried my sorrow songs. 26 I made ragtime Line 10-13 In this line of analysis “I carried my sorrow songs” as race of behavior. This poem resonated with black people or African American because the events are the real events of suffered, and enlightens how far African-Americans as a people have come. The main point of this poem describes about African American being discriminated in so many places and by so many people, how horribly he and others have been treated.

3. Analysis Moment