I enjoyed Langston Hughes poem so much. It spoke to me in so many ways and is very relevant to today’s political and social climate. His poem is written as if it was placed in today’s time. I read it and think so much has changed but nothing has changed at all.
The line “O, let my land be a land where Liberty/Is crowned with no false patriotic wealth,/ But opportunity is real, and life is free,/Equality is in the air we breathe,” is so profound in today’s time. In my opinion, many people use the word patriotism as an excuse to be bigots and racist. For example, Trump’s election has brought out hatred and violence in many ways. Also, he uses these feelings to push his own agenda, as well as a racist kind of propaganda that a lot of people buy into. Also, Langston’s line “I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,/I am the red man driven from the land./ I am the refugee clutching the hope I seek-/ But finding only the same stupid plan/ Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak,” is another instance where we see nothing much has changed in our country. This makes me think about how young our country really is and how we are STILL forming an identity. Segregation and racism are still happening. Rich versus poor is still a mindset. In addition, many refugees are seeking asylum in the USA but are punished just for wanting to seek a better life. Stereotypes are being enforced more than ever by racist parties to maintain their privilege. Distrust has become the norm and sometimes, people’s intention are unclear or malicious. This behavior creates the dog eat dog world Hughes is talking about. It’s weird, scary and fascinating to see how accurate this is years down the line.
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