Robert Hayden And I, Too, Sing America By Langston Hughes

In the poems â€Å"Frederick Douglass† by Robert Hayden and â€Å"I, Too, Sing America† by Langston Hughes, both authors engage in the common themes of race, oppression, and freedom, but Hayden contextualizes the theme in a wider mindset instead of narrowing it down to just black oppression, while Langston contextualizes the theme with a direct approach to black oppression and freedom. Not only are the approaches to the topic different, but they also relate through the messages that they are conveying about freedom. Both authors’ way of engaging with the themes alters and enrich the understanding of the issues at hand. They broaden the reader’s scope on race, prejudice, and freedom while informing the reader that it will take time. Robert Hayden approaches the poem â€Å"Frederick Douglass† without using any direct link to black oppression and freedom other than the famous figure Frederick Douglass himself. This poem was written in 1966, and in that year several things were happening in the United States with race relations. In 1966 the black power movement had just started and there was a lot going on with the fight for equality and freedom. I argue that Hayden used Frederick Douglass to mold this poem because he is best known as a civil rights leader in the abolition movement and Douglass stood for freedom (Douglass and Gates). Not only did he stand for black freedom and equality, but he stood for all freedom and equality. Being as though Douglass stood for all, I strongly believe thatShow MoreRelatedHow The Great Migration Impacted The Harlem Renaissance2641 Words   |  11 Pageswho were directly involved and affected by the Great Migration. It had a great impact on what life was like for these people and their families and also impacted the society as a whole. This Great Migration began at the end of the start of World War I from 1917, however many African Americans had begun migrating even before then. After the Civil W ar, at the end of the 19th century when the African Americans were no longer bound to their former masters as slaves, they began to migrate. This was calledRead More Flight in Song of Solomon, Native Son, A Worn Path, Sad Sweet Story of Sugar Lips Shinehot, and Por5690 Words   |  23 Pagestimes, flight has represented the opportunity to free ones self from the chains of oppression. For example, in the Bible, Moses delivered the enslaved Israelites from Egypt and the Lord instructed Moses to tell them, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Myself (Exodus 19:4). Not only does flight represent freedom from oppression, but it has also served as a source of strength: But those who wait on the Lord/ Shall renew their strength; /