Question

Essay help:
Please check my paragraphs. I had trouble writing about the prompt.
Prompt: Essay should address how the author uses form to provide social commentary on aspects like racism, labor issues, and African American identity in a predominantly White culture

Answer 1

Essay:
3 paragraphs so far

“Dream Variations” by Langston Hughes is a poem written during the Harlem Renaissance. The author is gently describing the aspects of American culture: racism and African American identity within a culture of “whites .” Also, the poem is full of music- jazz music since the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines of the stanzas within have 4 syllables- where the 1st, 2nd and 4th lines (in stanzas) appear to be paralleling each other. This shows how Hughes conveyed the tone of celebration and happiness in “Dream Variations.” Langston Hughes used form in order to give social commentary on racism, and African American identity by conveying a positive view on racism along with sending a message to the audience. Inside that message, Hughes is sending hope, and faith.
The speaker appears to be hosting a party/ celebration. Here, he/ she is in a joyful mood and does not worry about his/ her identity. In fact, “our” speaker is accepting the identity and just being the way he or she is. Within these lines, “[w]hile night comes on gently, [d]ark like me […]” and “Night coming tenderly [b]lack like me” Hughes compares the speaker to the night, as he or she is “black.” It is evident that the speaker is proud of who he/ she is and “is the same as whites” in some ways. Hughes made a historical reference to Martin Luther King Jr.’s time, where there were problems between the “whites” and the “blacks.” Since he mentioned “[d]ark like me [t]hat is my dream,” “we” are able to infer that the author believes there is peace between people no matter what race they are, even if African Americans are with the predominately white culture. According to the style of the poem, the author uses symbolism to explain how the African American speaker is feeling regarding his or her identity.
As the poem progresses, the comparisons of the speaker and the night suggest that he/ she is less identified during the evening to night hours. Hughes used some irony (verbal irony) when he compared the speaker with the “dark night, “ this suggests the speaker’s calmness about his or her “race” with no negative thought. Throughout the poem, Hughes through “our” speaker is attempting to communicate with the audience in order to relay an important message. During the lines “To fling my arms wide [i]n the face of the sun, [d]ance! Whirl! Whirl[…],” the speaker seems to be very proud of himself / herself. Within these lines, it is evident that this person truly accepted the identity he/she possesses and is happy with being unique. Hughes’ message to “us” is “Trust yourself; create the kind of self with which you will live with all your life.” By attempting to convince “us” to be satisfied with who “we” are, Hughes relays this message because he may have has personal experiences in which he was as celebratory as the speaker.