Response Paper #4
Langston Hughes, the foremost poet of the Harlem Renaissance, often seems to present his poems as part of a conversation, as the speech of a character directed at a particular kind of listener. Choose one poem by Hughes and try to determine who exactly the speaker is. Do not assume that the speaker is Langston Hughes; he frequently uses a fictional persona. And who is the imagined listener for this poem? Who is the speaker addressing? Who is the audience? Look carefully for clues in the poem that might help to specify who is speaking and who is being addressed. Then consider how this knowledge influences your understanding and your experience of the poem. What exactly is the poem saying? How does it influence your sense of what the poem is saying to recognize that it is being directed at a particular audience that may or may not include you? Why do you think Hughes chooses to put readers in this position? Or if you think the speaker is addressing you, what is the speaker assuming about you and what is he/she trying to say to you?
(If you prefer you may also use the default response paper prompt under “Response Paper Guidelines”)
1-2 pages, double-spaced. Due March 29.
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