Did anyone read any other poems of his? And how did they find optimism/pessimism in them?
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Langston Hughes
Having studied some of Hughes' poetry years ago, I found it very refreshing and eye-opening to re-read his work given my new vantage point--so to speak. I read the poems "I, Too" and "I Look at the World." What strikes me about both of these poems is the incredible aura of optimism they possess. There is also some resonance with his illustration of the cultural struggle of being a black man in our society, but mostly I found his self-awareness extremely encouraging. In particular, in the poem "I Look at the World," Hughes goes from having "awakening eyes in a black face" (at the start of the poem) to having "eyes no longer blind." Eyes with which he can now "see that [his] own hands can make / The world that's in [his] mind."
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I agree with you about how you find optimism in his poems i read "You and your race" and "Mother to Son". These show the same finds in his words and languages he uses to distinguish each one. He is one of my Favorites and such a attention grabber and keep you until the very end.
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