Part 1:
In Langston Hughes poem Harlem he highlights the plight of the African American community in the United States emphasizing on their collective denial of participation in the American Dream. American Dream being the better life that was brought to the people by the economic growth and constitutional freedoms. The poem talks about the American dream that most of the other communities in America except the minorities and people of color got to enjoy, expressing the disappointments of not getting to participate in the dream of growing their social economic and cultural status despite being part of the “free” america. Hughes states in the poem, “ What happens to a dream deferred?” (Line 1). Posing a question of what may take place if the individual right of a people to develop is denied from them. This he answers with many probabilities and scenarios finally stating “ Or does it explode?” (Hughes, line 11). This is to imply that failure to allow people their rights and lack of equality has greater consequences and risks. Predicting that the people may finally rise up to take what they are owed.
Part 2:
Countee Cullen writes a poem titled Yet Do I Marvel that states in the last line, “ Yet do I marvel at this curious thing/to make a poet black, and bid him sing!” This is a classical reference that points to the Greek culture more specifically Tantalus the son of Zeus who was punished to Tantalize as his name suggests. The term Tantalize refers to a state in which a person is given the ability to hold up hope but in the real sense will never realize this hope. Similarly, Cullen in a way tries to outline his plight. His poetic references signify that he has read far and wide and as such should or is as good as all the other white poets. The only downside is that he is black. In his society at the time, the African Americans were given everything else. This included the right to acquire education and become virtually equal in knowledge to white men. On the other hand, they could not be allowed to compete for the same positions as the white man simply because they were viewed as inferior to the white race. This is a symbolic representation of the American society where the African Americans were denied an opportunity to live the American dream despite being regarded by law as free and equal American people.
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Part 3:
Water represents the spirit of the African American individual. In the poem, Hughes states, “My soul has grown deep like the rivers”. This poem speaks to the African American experience and what the rivers mean to them. He points out to several rivers across the Middle East, Africa and America as if vividly documenting his ancestors travel from Africa to the United States. The rivers connect Hughes to his ancestors. Where he states, “I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep/ I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it” shows how Hughes is trying to establish a connection between him and his past ancestors in Africa who settled near those rivers and how far they have come. The waters in the rivers establishes a spiritual connection that transcends time and physical location.
