What Symbolic Elements Do You Find in the Poem of Langston Hughes

Answer

What is symbolism? What symbolic elements do you find in the poems of Langston Hughes? [NU: 2017, 19, 21] ★★★

Symbolism is a literary device where a person, object, event, or idea is used to represent something else. Through symbols, poets can express deeper meanings. We find many symbols in Langston Hughes’s (1901-1967) poems. He used symbolism to show the struggles, dreams, and hopes of Black people in America. Let us find out the symbolic elements in his famous poems.

Rivers: In “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” (1920), Hughes uses rivers as symbols of the old history of black people, their pride, and their struggle. In this poem, the poet says that he has known rivers.

“I’ve known rivers ancient as the world…”

It means the poet is a part of the history of human civilization. The entire black African-American race is a part of the history of human civilization. This is why he says that he has bathed in the Euphrates. He has built a hut near the Congo to live in comfort. He has built the great pyramids upon the Nile. So, from these rivers, the poet learns that the black people have been present from the start of human history. Hence, the rivers become symbols of the rich history of the black people and their pride. Hughes also mentions the Mississippi River to remind us of the struggles of black slaves. So here, this river becomes a symbol of struggle.

Eating, Kitchen, and Table: In “I, Too, Sing America” (1926), Hughes uses the act of eating as a symbol of equality. The Black speaker says he is sent to eat in the kitchen when guests come.

“They send me to eat in the kitchen

When company comes.”

So, the speaker eats in the kitchen. It means he suffers from racial inequality. But instead of crying, he laughs, eats well, and grows strong. He hopes that one day, he will