Preview

Poetry: a Comparative Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
746 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Poetry: a Comparative Analysis
Poetry: A Comparative Analysis As is true with most comparative analysis essays, we must write a paper in which we compare and contrast different things; in this case, compare the relationship between the language and content of three poems. I am faced with creating a list of seemingly unrelated similarities and some differences. At this point I feel a bit confused about how I want to construct this paper. I want to attempt to analyze the writing styles of three authors, whose works are from the book The Art of Work. I chose to spotlight three poems: Me and My Work, written by Maya Angelou, Factory Jungle, written by Jim Daniels, and Share-Croppers, written by Langston Hughes. I want to show the relationship between the language the poets used in their writing styles and the content of the poems. The first poem I read for this assignment, Share-Croppers, was very interesting to me in that it seemed to have been written from the viewpoint of a slave. I started reading it and although it was short, it said a lot to me and I just had to read the verses again and again. The words are poignant and made me remember some of the stories I heard as a child told to me by my grand father. To read any of Langston Hughes ' poems one could see that he had a deep concern for depicting American Negro life through the use of the dialect and the terms he used; this was an important part of his writing style. In this poem the language he used made me also think about era in which it was written, a time after emancipation when most southern blacks were forced to become share croppers and were enslaved by debts as tenant farmers. In this poem one starts to get an idea of what it was like to be a black share cropper in the south; the hurt of trying to make a living in a thankless job, only to have what this person worked so hard for taken away. He is left hungry and torn, but not broken, because life goes on. In the next poem, Factory Jungle, the language this author


References: Angelou, M. (1990). Me and My Work, Retrieved from The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature, Larocco & Coughlin Daniels, J. (no date). Factory Jungle, Retrieved from The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature, Larocco & Coughlin Hughes, J. M. L. (1942). Share-Croppers, Retrieved from The Art of Work: An Anthology of Workplace Literature, Larocco & Coughlin

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    Rational Organisation

    • 1821 Words
    • 8 Pages

    • DONKIN, R (2001) Blood, Sweat and Tears: The Evolution of Work London: Texere. (Ch. 11- Western Electric Discovers Motivation).…

    • 1821 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Awertf

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Langston Hughes, a well known American poet, was born and raised in mild poverty and faced many struggles during his childhood and early adulthood. Due to the circumstances surrounding his life, Hughes developed a strong emotional connection to anyone facing struggles, particularly youth growing up in poor areas of American cities, such as New York City's Harlem area. After realizing these connections, Hughes was able to successfully address the difficulties of life and the struggles of the people, through the piece "Harlem”. The use of a distinct voice, beginning with such a strong title, compels the audience to continue through the poem, where we are exposed to strong use of voice, tone, symbolism, word choice, and poetic structure.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Mla Research Paper

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In this critical essay, the author Leon Lewis illustrates an overview of Langston Hughes overall work and what he represents as a literary writer. Hughes is known as the “Laureate of Black America”, he has the desire to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America. His work usually consists of rhymes and poems, and the language of the black community. Even though some of his work is appeal more towards young adult readers, his work is written to reach a wide spread of audience not just the literary privileged. Some of his influences include: Sandburg, Vachel Lindsay, and Edgar Lee Masters whose work is also directed at a broad spectrum of readers. His work addresses concerns and issues surrounding African-Americans and effects of racial hatred. Hughes always possesses an optimistic mood which reflects in his writing, he depicts racial issues in a way where he has hope in humanity and is illustrated positively. Even though,…

    • 1050 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Influenced by the need to share the society of black American life during the 1920s through 1960s, Langston Hughes was inspired by jazz music which was popular among black Americans during the time of his writing. He told the stories of his people in ways that mirrored their genuine culture, including both their agony and their love of music, laughter, and language itself. The poems written by Hughes, “Dream Boogie” and “The weary Blues” best exemplify his love for music in his work while also combining the view of a black American’s struggle with everyday life. Both poems are based around music,…

    • 538 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Although poetry is to be elegant and stylistically rhythmical, it can also be used to convey messages through a story. A story is a manifestation of art and creativity with a moral. He is able to illustrate that story in both of his poems effectively along with the black people’s segregation and lack of equality. Langston Hughes is more than just a poet with rhymes. He is a civil speaker through his work. He represents the black community and is the bridge between disparity and peace. He conveys the universal truth of obstruction of black people’s rights in the ‘60s and will stop…

    • 974 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The emergence of the Harlem Renaissance symbolize the dawn of a new era which opened up the gates of liberation through celebration of African-American past and and the present.One of the most prominent examples of this tendency to expose the cultural darkness can be found in Langston Hughes' poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers,which delineates a compelling and yet honest poetic structure nurtured in the deepest corners of human soul.Hughes, one of the most prominent characters of The Harlem Renaissance, writes a short poem which seemingly depicts his knowledge of rivers and his tendency to praise them.Nevertheless,the the truth of this poem lies much more deeper and it is driven by the empathy and compassion in the purest of all forms.The dark history of African American people has always been inevitably associated with the concept of 'river,and Hughes,uses this symbol to illuminate certain historical facts about his people which were evident, rarely discussed and often suffocated which was a characteristic of his era,as well as those centuries before him.Langston Hughes masterfully uses his voice to compensate for the history of subdued and never heard African -American voices,which were destined to drown in oblivion and escape…

    • 751 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Decline of the Union

    • 3539 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Budd, J. W. (2010). . In Labor Relations: Striking a Balance (p. 77). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.…

    • 3539 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poetry Analysis

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Lorna Dee Cervantes' poem, “Poema para los Californios Muertos” (“Poem for the Dead Californios”), is a commentary on what happened to the original inhabitants of California when California was still Mexico, and an address to the speaker's dead ancestors. Utilizing a unique dynamic, consistently alternating between Spanish and English, Cervantes accurately represents the fear, hatred, and humility experienced by the “Californios” through rhythm, arrangement, tone, and most importantly, through use of language.…

    • 783 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    At the time of John Milton, Amelia Lanier, and Richard Lovelace, England experienced a revolt of King Charles I by Parliament to end his unreasonable wars. His wars were becoming a burden to Parliament to fund and handle, and with the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, the governing body was able to overthrow the king and his unpopular ways. Due to the events at the time, many poets and writers were able to openly criticize and discuss the ways of the government and the ways of society; Milton, Lanier, and Lovelace were a few of these writers.…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Is Langston Hughes?

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Langston Hughes is by fare the most important writers of the Harlem Renaissance which was the artistic movement of African Americans in the 1920's that celebrated African American life and culture in New York. Hughes was one of the most creative African Americans who used his neighborhood as influence. Like other active members of the Harlem Renaissance, Hughes had a strong sense of racial pride and through his poetry, novels, plays, essays, and children's books; he promoted equality, condemned racism and injustice, and celebrated African American culture. Most of his poems were influential during this time period. In this essay, I will be talking about five of Langton Hughes famous poems that speak of race, segregation and the effects it has…

    • 2044 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    (2015). 1984: A Revolution in the Workplace. World Book Year Books. World Book Publishing. Retrieved from http://elibrary.bigchalk.com.proxy.lib.wy.us…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Langston Hughes

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The poem “Negro” by Langston Hughes was written in 1958. This was a very significant time when the Civil Rights Movement and African American development. Hughes tells a very informative story of what he has been through as a Negro, and the life he is proud to have had. Hughes gives great examples with expresses his emotional experiences and makes the reader think about what exactly it was like to live his life during that time. Hughes uses specific words, which allows the reader to fathom the different situations he has been put through during that particular time. The very beginning, when Hughes starts off the poem with the statement “I am a Negro,” it lets the reader know who he is. Hughes continues by saying, “ Black as the night is black, / Black like the depths of my Africa (1-2).” Hughes identifies the continent of Africa as being his and is very proud to be as dark as night, and as black as the depths of the heart of his country. In the first stanza Hughes is proud of himself, heritage, and culture.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poetry Analysis

    • 912 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the poem “An Echo Sonnet”, author Robert Pack writes of a conversation between a person’s voice and its echo. With the use of numerous literary techniques, Pack is able to enhance the meaning of the poem: that we must depend on ourselves for answers because other opinions are just echoes of our own ideas.…

    • 912 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Poetry Analysis

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Have you ever felt like you were born to do something? Since I was born I felt like I was born to play baseball, but after that I would love to be a broadcaster. That is why I have chosen to analyze “The Broadcaster’s Poem” by Alden Nowlan. Analyzing a poem is not an easy thing to accomplish for me. As I very rarely analyze anything I read, but you should try everything once.…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Delbridge, R., & Lowe, J. (2002). Workplace relations and the new shop floor: Introduction. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 36, 161–162.…

    • 9163 Words
    • 37 Pages
    Good Essays