Poetry

In the poem "Let America Be America Again," Langston Hughes paints a vivid word picture of a depressed America in the early 1900’s. To many people living in America, the idealism presented as the American Dream has escaped their minds as they are depressed, hurt, and feeling like they are living for nothing. The way Hughes expresses his words shows how a speaker is allowed to voice the unsung Americans' concern of how America was intended to be, had become to them, and could grow and prosper to be again the great country it once was.

Using a style that makes the reader feel like they are in a conversation with him, Hughes allows the speaker and listener to interact with each other. The issue addressed is that America is not the democratic ideal its people thought it would always be. The original speaker begins in fairly common sayings; however, when the listener is allowed to respond, the stanzas become in a sense stronger with the passion felt as well as the urgency of the message. He tells of what America was once like and how it has changed over the course of the year. The listener's response contains the main idea of the piece, comparing the democratic ideal to the conditions of those who are victims because of race, age, or economic status. This is how I want America to be hints the reason I picked it. It is strong, to the point, and how our land should be. A land of peace, love and freedom, not full of violence, hating one another.