Poetry of Langston Hughes – Flashcards
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If we must die—let it not be like hogs
Hunted and penned in an inglorious spot,
While round us bark the mad and hungry dogs,
Making their mock at our accursed lot.
If we must die—oh, let us nobly die,
So that our precious blood may not be shed
In vain; then even the monsters we defy
Shall be constrained to honor us though dead!
Oh, Kinsmen! We must meet the common foe;
Though far outnumbered, let us still be brave,
And for their thousand blows deal one death-blow!
What though before us lies the open grave?
Like men we'll face the murderous, cowardly pack,
Pressed to the wall, dying, but—fighting back!
Which best describes the speaker in this poem?
answer
a motivator who encourages readers to fight oppression
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In what way are the lines of "The Weary Blues" similar to the lyrics of a blues song?
answer
The poem uses repetition to create meaning.
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In what way does the line "sags like a heavy load" in "Harlem" relate to the overall feeling of "The Weary Blues"?
answer
The song lyrics in "The Weary Blues" reflect a "heavy load" for the singer.
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Read the excerpt from "Harlem."
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over-
like a syrupy sweet?
Read the excerpt from "The Weary Blues."
Droning a drowsy syncopated tune
Rocking back and forth to a mellow croon
In both poems, Hughes uses the imagery to
answer
establish tone
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Ain't got nobody in all this world,
Ain't got nobody but ma self.
I's gwine to quit ma frownin'
And put ma troubles on the shelf.
What is the effect of repeating the phrase "ain't got nobody" in the poem?
answer
It emphasizes the theme of sorrow and melancholy in the poem.
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