Langston Hughes: Visitors to the Black Belt Analysis Sample

Introduction and historical background

Born in 1902 in Missouri, Langston Hughes was an African-American novelist, activist, and poet, mainly known for introducing jazz poetry. Hughes' great-grandfathers were slave owners, while his great-grandmothers were enslaved (Poets.org, 2016). His father, on the other hand, separated from his mother and moved to Mexico in an attempt to escape the racism that was then very rampant in the US. Hughes began his poetry in high school and was later, as an adult, exposed by Vachel Lindsay, the poet (Poetry Foundation, 2016).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

The poem ‘Visitor to the Black Belt’ is one among the many poems of Hughes’ that have been published since then. It was written by a supporter of a cultural movement of African Americans, which actually became the core of the author’s works. The period of the 1920s and 1930s in the United States was characterized by an increasing number of African American literature, theatre, music, and visual arts, centered in Harlem, New York. As a result, if you proceed to the Langston Hughes poem analysis, you will notice a lot of themes related to social inequality, discrimination, racial identity, and cultural pride.

Visitors to the Black Belt criticize the segregated and unjust society where African Americans face devastating challenges. The “Black Belt” of northern cities is Harlem, which is the symbol of the whole US. While “visitors” come to the city out of their curiosity about the culture, they still ignore and cannot notice the challenges of the local residents.

As for other works of Langston Hughes, it is indispensable to mention that his personal experience deeply affected his work. Born in Missouri in 1902, he grew up in America, which was divided into races. Trying to avoid racism, his father moved to Mexico, and Hughes had the experience of both discrimination and the cultural richness of Black communities. As a result, it gave him strength and ideas on how to depict African American life with both creative depth and insight.

Main themes and the meaning of the poem

Analysing the Black Belt poetry themes, racism and social inequality are obvious. However, these are not the only issues analyzed and emphasized in the Visitors to the Black Belt.

• Fake interest of whites in Black America. The speaker criticizes the way outsiders engage with African Americans. There is the feeling that they do not consider them to be able to discuss some deeper and more profound topics different than the ones on the surface.
• Invisibility of real Black life. The harsh realities of places like Harlem are still unknown to visitors, even though they try to observe and explore.
• Search for dignity and identity. African Americans are willing not just to survive, but also to tell people about their presence and worthiness.

Stylistic devices in the poem

The irony projected herein is that the outsiders, who are presumably white people, act as if they know what life is like in Harlem, when in a real sense, they do not. This is because the same outsiders only go there to visit, and then go back to their places. The author projects that it is only by getting to know those who live in Harlem that these outsiders can understand what the exact situation is. In light of this, Hughes uses imagery by explaining that the hallways are packed with garbage, and the kitchens have no heating. This depiction draws a mental image of the place as an unpleasant and uninhabitable one. In this context, the usage of allegory is also evident. Even though the author tells the outsider to ask him who he is, this is implied. By stating “Ask me who I am,” Hughes requires the outsider to understand life in Harlem in general and not his life as an individual in specific.

The poem also incorporates rhythm throughout, where the author begins several expressions with ‘You can,' and ‘To me.' This helps inform the reader on what to expect in the phrases to follow. Lastly, alliteration is used in the phrases ‘To me it’s here ‘and ‘To me it’s hell,' where the same consonants are used at the beginning of the words ‘here’ and ‘hell.'

Thus, the poem is rich in various literary devices that contribute to its relevance, interest, and prominence.

• Irony is most obvious in the behavior of visitors who pretend to understand life in Harlem, even though they do not.
• Imagery, which emphasizes critical details and portrays everyday life in the place as it is.
• Repetition serves as a way to establish the rhythmic contrast between the perspectives of the outsiders and insiders.
• Allegory, which invites readers of the Visitors to the Black Belt to look beyond the surface and see the more sophisticated and complete picture of African American life.
• Structure and rhythm. The poem is short and features multiple abrupt lines, which together create the tone of directness and frustration.

Conclusion: main message and its impact

Visitors to the Black Belt by Hughes is a desperate desire to explain the struggles and challenges African Americans experienced in the United States. While people were showing some kind of interest in the insiders, no one really cared about their real issues and deeper realities. The poet calls for understanding, empathy, and engagement, which would all be genuine, honest, and real.

References

Poets.org (2016). Langston Hughes. Retrieved December 3, 2016, from: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/langston-hughes.

Poetry Foundation (2016). Langston Hughes. Retrieved December 3, 2016, from: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems-and-poets/poets/detail/langston-hughes