Harlem Renaissance

Question

Explain how key social, cultural, and artistic contributions contribute to historical changes.
Explain the importance of situating a society’s cultural and artistic expressions within a historical context. 
Examine the influences of intellectual, religious, political, and socio-economic forces on social, cultural, and artistic expressions. 
Identify major historical developments in world cultures from the Renaissance to the contemporary period.
Use technology and information resources to research issues in the study of world cultures.
Write clearly and concisely about world cultures using proper writing mechanics.

Sample paper

Harlem Renaissance

Analysis of Harlem poems

Langston Hughes Harlem (Dream Deferred)

The dream deferred is a poem written by Langston Hughes in after the Second World War which led to dispositioning of most African Americans. Hughes knew how important dreams are to individuals and this is the reason behind his question about the dream and about what happens when dreams are either ignored or postponed. At the setting of the war, the country had seen the end of both the great depression and the world war two, but this had little or no impact on most African Americans because their dreams and fantasy of the American dream was all but conceded (Brown, 2015).  However, the author considered every planning, dream and fan tansy of the African Americans important and took them to his heart as most of them began lives by planning on how to raise their kids appropriately.

The voice of the lyrics in the poem is a dark artist who makes the poem look like a structured talk from its attributes and characteristics. In the early days especially among most African American families, dark individuals were given the fantasies of value and correspondence, but to the disappointment of many, most of these dreams and fantasies were not effective. On the other hand, the black society could not encounter the unpredictability of the society despite the presence of legitimate, political and social powers to nullify the politically-sanctioned racial segregation. The desire by most blacks to enjoy equity, have equal opportunities and enjoy the same status as other races never worked out and their dreams were not realized. When dreams and fantasies are deferred, ignored or postponed there is a high likelihood that individuals will continue to live in misery and break the trust that exists between two individuals or organizations.  Despite the promises from the white government of better future and equal opportunities, nothing has brought into reality, and this broke the trust between the two races and African Americans continued to live in misery. Despite numerous failures and delays, a dream or a fantasy always live at the back of the mind of every individual.

Racial segregation is quite evident in the setting of this poem and the black Americans suffer in the hands of other races despite their promises to make the country better. They are never given equal opportunities as other individuals and are forced to postpone their fantasies and dreams of a better America that have no racial segregation (Harden, 2012). Most of them live in misery and poverty and their trust in the white government is no more as they break their commitments

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Claude McKay A Memory of June

This poem focuses on telling the readers of how the author perceive and sees the month of June which is made possible by the extensive utilization of symbolism in the poem. The message of the poem is thus directed to all individual who might share the same feelings as the author towards the month of June as he fully describes his feelings when he was a youth. According to the poet, the month of June presents a suitable resurrection platform after the passing of the month of May. Through the tone and language utilized in the poem, it is easy to tell that the author of the poem talks about a noteworthy other named June as well as the month of June itself. The poet also uses a praising tone, and he is also in remembrance of his youth and beliefs about the month of June. The author is simply describing the emotions, feelings, and images that come to his mind when he remembers and thinks of the month of June. Moreover, through the use of personification the poem successfully gives the month human abilities.

One of the most notable themes in this poem is love. The poet has extensively used names and words that clearly show there is love in the air. In the second stanza the last line, the author states that the arms were locked, their flesh pulsing with love’s pain. This line is a clear indication of two people in love a man and a woman who share intimate moments together and who are fully aware f the costs that come with love (Kemp, 2013). Moreover, in the last stanza the last line the author states that love so fugitive and so complete. This shows that he was in love though he could not fully express his love yet he felt that he was completely in love with June.

Part 3

Some individuals take their decoration in a flag

And of their status, they brag

They perceive outstanding, and they differentiate

And against those who are antithetic they discriminate

 

I asked you for your name

You tell me, I smile

I feel the joy

That has been hidden for a while

I like the way you laugh

I love the way you walk

The way your hips sway

The mesmerized jiggle of your ass

As you walk pass

References

Brown, T. J. (2015). Text Mining and Digital Humanities: Quantitative Analysis of African American Poetry.

Harden, R. &. (2012). Reading the Harlem Renaissance into Public Policy: Lessons from the Past to the Present. Afro-Americans in New York Life and History, 36(2), , 7.

Kemp, M. P. (2013). African American Women Poets, the Harlem Renaissance, and Modernism: An Apology. . Callaloo, 36(3),, 789-801.

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