Many poets are one of the greatest ways for us to reflect on much of the culture throughout our history. Great works from tragic romances of William Shakespeare, eerie writings of Edger Alan Poe, or inspiring words from Maya Angelo, have allowed us to see some of life experiences and feeling through the writings of these inspired men and women. It is easy to see the times and trials these poets dealt with through their works, you could easily see the social, economic and cultural lifestyles they lived in. One of the historical poets I have had the opportunity of reading and learning about was Langston Hughes. His work sheds light on readers of today, on the social culture and ways of the early 1900’s to mid 1900’s. The unfortunate issue of slavery and inequality was very prevalent in the writings of Mr. Hughes. He wrote with a sense of the unfairness he was dealing with, as well as being a voice for those enduring the segregation as well. Only a few of his poems allowed us to see he had a hopeful side and would appear to write on day dream type things, like the sun and the rain. I wanted to point out on two particular poems that Hughes wrote, “Democracy” and “Let America be America Again”. In these poems many of the social indiscrepencies were obviously a huge factor in the way he felt. But as I read through these poems I could almost see a few similarities with the social issues of this present time. Although the segregation and separation was indeed more prevalent in the time of Hughes, the views he shares in these two poems are quite comparable to some of the views that society may very well have today.
In let “America be America Again” Hughes says “I am the people, humble, hungry, mean---Hungry yet today despite the dream. He says also “beaten today---O Pioneers! I am the man who never got ahead, the poorest worker bartered through the years.”