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In this The Weary Blues analysis essay, you will find plenty of information about the poems literary devices, metaphors, and themes. Check it out and get inspired.
The Weary Blues Analysis Essay: Introduction
Langston Hughes was an African American born in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. He started writing early in his life. His work addressed African American issues. He chose to write about African Americans to highlight the issues they encountered in the society. He also wanted to represent his race and show that it had a rich culture. He wrote the poem The Weary Blues in 1923. The poem is representative of his work.
Background
The poem The Weary Blues was written at a time when there was an increased interest in African American art. Langston Hughes wrote the poem in Harlem and people noticed it because it was very different from the poetry of that time. His poem was like jazz because he got his inspiration from blues. He used words to write and describe blues that reflected the feelings of African Americans.
Words
Langton Hughes communicated in this poem written in blues using words alone. This kind of writing is difficult but Hughes uses the blues in the poem successfully. For instance, he uses words that give the poem musicality that helps to express complex emotions that are easily expressed through blues and jazz.
The poem employs techniques such as alliteration for instance in line 1 Droning a drowsy syncopated tune (Hughes 1), the O sound in drowning and drowsy imitate a mans yawning sound. In the words syncopated and tune, there is the alliteration of the T sound that mimics the sound of music. Thus through the choice of words Hughes lets us hear the music that the musician was playing.
The repetition in the poem enables the audience to get into the mournful tempo that is brought about by the diction. For instance, in line 1 the musician is drowning and swaying as he plays the piano. The audience also sways with him because they become engrossed in the mood that he creates with the notes he plays on his piano. The singer is able to express his feelings and give the audience a chance to express theirs too as they sway to the blues. He also uses the word raggy, which could represent the difficult lives of African Americans.
Setting
The speaker says, I heard a Negro play/ down on Lenox Avenue (Hughes 3-4) which is located in Harlem an area where mainly African Americans lived. The reason for mentioning the location where the Negro played was important to let the audience know that the singer was black. The poem was written during the renaissance when African Americans artists gained recognition in the white community.
Thus by telling us that the Negro was playing down the Lenox Avenue he shows us that he was playing in an area where the whites mainly lived that is downtown. This means that the white community was opening up to African Americans art. Moreover, playing at this location shows that whites also experienced blues and jazz music that is attributed to African Americans who composed it out of pain and suffering brought about by the social conditions at the time.
During this time, African Americans were under the oppression of the whites and they did not have equal opportunities. Thus, they came up with the jazz and blues music as a way of venting out their frustrations. They also wanted to affirm their humanity in the midst of racism.
Hughes work represents African Americans condition using these words Coming from a black mans soul (Hughes 15). The singer sings moaning blues that reveal the black mans soul. The soul is not at rest due to the many problems surrounding it and the blues help the black man to cope with his situation.
The blues reveal the singers life, which is also similar to the life of all the other African American. After he finishes speaking he goes on to sleep soundly as a rock because he has expressed his feelings through the blues he was playing and the melody of the blues continue to ring in his head.
Color
Hughes work during the renaissance era was aimed at defining African Americans. In the poem, The Weary Blues Hughes did just that by pointing out the African American culture and tradition- the blues. Through singing blues, African Americans were expressing their identity. The singer in the poem is a Negro, Hughes tells us of his race because he wants his fellow African Americans to embrace their color and stand out of the crowd without feeling ashamed for being black.
For instance, in line 9 he talks of ebony hands that played the ivory keys because he is not ashamed of his color and brings it up in the poem. Moreover, the ebony color represents the suffering that the African Americans went through in the society. In line 25, 28 and 29 the singer says he has troubles and cannot be satisfied.
Langston Hughes the Weary Blues Analysis: Conclusion
The poem represents Hughes work well because it captures the experiences of African Americans. Using the blues, Hughes emphasizes the African American tradition of blues, which gave them a redefinition of their identity. The blues were a source of pride for the African Americans and showed their artistic creativity and expression. For example, the singer was able to use a white musical instrument to express his feelings using his blues as in the poem he made the piano moan.
The title of the poem The Weary Blues captures the weariness that African Americans felt due to the struggles they had to go through in the society. However, the same blues helped them to relax as we see the singer saying he will quit frowning in line 21. It is also important to note that the weariness was shared across the African American generations. Thus, the poem passes the underlying message in Hughes work that exposes the plight of African Americans.
Work Cited
Hughes, Langston. Literature An introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Eleventh Ed. New York: Longman Publishing, 2008.
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