Poetry of Langston Hughes

Question 1

The speaker’s tone in "Harlem" is best described as

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frustrated.

Question 2

Read the poem “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay. If we must die—let it not be like hogsHunted and penned in an inglorious spot,While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,Making their mock at our accursed lot.If we must die—oh, let us nobly die So that our precious blood may not be shedIn vain; then even the monsters we defyShall be constrained to honor us though dead!Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe;Though far outnumbered, let us still be brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!What though before us lies the open grave?Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting back!What sentence best conveys the speaker’s message?

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There is honor in dying courageously.

Question 3

Read the excerpt from "Harlem."Does it stink like rotten meat?Or crust and sugar over-like a syrupy sweet?Read the excerpt from "The Weary Blues."Droning a drowsy syncopated tuneRocking back and forth to a mellow croonIn both poems, Hughes uses the imagery to

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establish tone.

Question 4

Read the poem “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay. If we must die—let it not be like hogsHunted and penned in an inglorious spot,While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,Making their mock at our accursed lot.If we must die—oh, let us nobly die, So that our precious blood may not be shedIn vain; then even the monsters we defyShall be constrained to honor us though dead!Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe;Though far outnumbered, let us still be brave, And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!What though before us lies the open grave?Like men we’ll face the murderous, cowardly pack,Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting back!Which best describes the speaker in this poem?

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a motivator who encourages readers to fight oppression

Question 5

What is one difference in the themes of "Harlem" and "The Weary Blues"?

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“Harlem” conveys resentment, while “The Weary Blues” shows expression.

Question 6

In what way are the lines of "The Weary Blues" similar to the lyrics of a blues song?

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The poem uses repetition to create meaning.

Question 7

The speaker in "Harlem" contemplates

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the fate of aspirations that are unrealized.

Question 8

Read this line from "Harlem." Or does it explode?Read this line from "The Weary Blues."Thump, thump, thump, went his foot on the floor.What sense do both of these lines rely on?

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the sense of hearing

Question 9

What is one difference in the way sensory details are used in "Harlem" and "The Weary Blues"?

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“Harlem” uses all five senses, while “The Weary Blues” relies mainly on the sense of sound.

Question 10

Which lines from "The Weary Blues" suggest that the speaker is impressed by the musician?

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With his ebony hands on each ivory keyHe made that poor piano moan with melody.

Poetry of Langston Hughes Answers

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