The writing world of the past was full of political commentary, and in today's age, art and music have become a common avenue of political expression. However, while many have swapped typewriters for canvases and microphones, most have lost this in regular dialogue, claiming they're "not a political person."
However, in a time of political uncertainty and unrest, we can always fall back on older texts.
Written works like these are prominent and still ring true today. Take Fredrick Douglas’ 1852 speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” for instance. Douglas emphasizes this speech to emphasize that Independence Day wasn’t worth celebrating for those enslaved, because they’re facing “the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”
From this foundation set by Douglas and numerous others came an age of classic writers who honed their craft to comment on the state of the world in their moment. Names, such as Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, W.E.B. DuBois and Charles Dickens have all stepped up to the plate when it comes to commentary mixed with their craft.
Yet, the name that sticks out to me the most is Langston Hughes.
Hughes was the great-grandson of not only enslaved Africans but also slave owners. It has also been commonly speculated that Hughes was queer. Keeping these things in mind, Hughes took it upon himself to write on the jazz-age’s political climate frequently.
Two of his most notable works, “I, Too” and “I Dream a World,” both focus on the political state of the world. Both are poems that we should be looking at today for guidance on loving our fellow man.
I, Too
Hughes’ work, “I, Too” is a five-stanza free verse poem that arguably defined the Harlem Renaissance. He’s writing from the perspective of not only a Black man in America but as “the darker brother," a definitive phrase which encapsulates the "brotherhood" that white and non-white Americans should be living by.
The poem itself is a direct response to Walt Whitman’s “I Hear America Singing.” This can be inferred from Hughes’ first line: “I, too, sing America.”
Hughes uses the simplicity of eating at a table to show the power of overcoming differences and difficulties. In the second stanza, the darker brother is sent off to eat in the kitchen, away from the guests.
Though, when he gains company in that kitchen, he laughs, grows and finds community.
The third stanza highlights "tomorrow" when he’s at the table. He doesn't get sent to the kitchen when guests arrive; nobody will even think of sending him back to the kitchen.
Being sent to the kitchen, in this case, represents that there is only one American identity that is accepted. Being let out of this metaphoric kitchen and not being hidden back there finally shows the multitude of American identities being accepted.
Writing from the perspective of “the darker brother” and, simultaneously, “singing” America allows Hughes to evoke not only a feeling of togetherness but also one of commonality, of true brotherhood.
They’ll see how beautiful I am / And be ashamed — / I, too, am America.
I Dream a World
Hughes uses “I Dream a World” to advocate for social justice. Once again taking social injustice and oppression by the horns, Hughes uses this poem to blatantly express how the world could be made better if we treated each other as equals.
The poem is a lyric poem, which is fitting for something so utopian. Each line, stronger than the previous, allows Hughes to paint a picture of a world without hate. While the poem is about social justice, the underlying theme is emotional metamorphosis.
This is most notable in the first and last few lines of the poem. In the first two lines, “scorn” is replaced by “love,” and at the end, “wretchedness” is replaced by “joy.”
Transforming something as simple as a change of heart and putting it into poetry to advocate for a perfect world, no matter how long it takes, is courageous; a courage that we should all have, especially today.
A world I dream where black or white, / Whatever race you be, / Will share the bounties of the earth / And every man is free
While I, myself, am not a poet, I can always appreciate a message. To me, there’s nothing more important than close reading, understanding a message and having courage. These three minimal things make a better world.
When you read anything closely, multiple times, you’ll have no choice but to learn something. Books that are banned, challenged or even just discouraged from being read all have a message. They might even bear extreme similarities to and even lessons for the world we live in today.
Take those messages, images and themes and have a change of heart. There’s no better feeling than loving your fellow man and accepting we’re all America.
I, too, / dream a world / where we can all sing America.
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Brychelle Brooks, senior majoring in public and professional writing with a minor in information systems, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since August 2023. She previously served as the Campus Reporter, Opinion Editor and Newsletter Editor. She is currently serving as the Editor-in-Chief.
