Analyzing Langston Hughes' Poem 'As I Grew Older'

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Although RICHARD WRIGHT: BLACK BOY focuses mainly on the life and history of an internationally acclaimed American author, the visual and audio components of the documentary richly contextualize the literature that Wright produced. In that sense, the documentary synthesizes a great amount of historical, social and cultural information about the twentieth century. The poem starts off pretty negative as Hughes describes the fact that the wall stands in the way of his dream and he gives up. The poem is written in a manner that copies the repetitions of American blues music. The mood of the poem "As I Grew Older" is very encouraging of letting black people know if you have a dream you can fight for it, and be happy within your skin. The representation of the night is Hughes symbolism of freedom. "(5,6)The dark side of the poem "As I Grew Older" is the fact that thewhite people stand in the way of Hughes dream, and almost make him give up. Hughes encourages the fact that black people shouldn"tmt hopelessly accept the fact that they are being treated unfairly. ewhite people and their holding black people back from accomplishing their dreams. Hughes expresses the fact that he cares about the color of his skin. The night is like peace because he no longer has to put up with the white people and face the discrimination he faces all day long. " All he wanted was to be free , and feel free. "Night coming tenderly"(16) It is Hughes dream that there will no longer be any racial discrepancies for African Americans and it would have been a wonderful day by the time night comes about. Hughes lets the readers know that through the discrimination there is hope and that dreams can be fulfilled when one fights for their rights. "And then the wall rose, Rose slowly,"(7,8) The wall represents the hardships of the black people and all the struggles they deal with before they can overcome
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