Selected Poems of Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes (1902-1967)
My People
The night is beautiful,
So the faces of my people.
The stars are beautiful,
So the eyes of my people.
Beautiful, also, is the sun.
Beautiful, also, are the souls of my people.
1. In "My People," the speaker compares the souls of his people to
A) their eyes
B) their faces
C) the stars
D) the sun
I, Too
I, too, sing America.
I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.
Tomorrow,
I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,”
Then.
Besides,
They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—
I, too, am America.
Questions for Discussion
1. Which word best describes the tone of the poem "I, Too"?
A) apologetic
B) confident
C) playful
D) respectful
2. "Tomorrow, / I'll be at the table / When company comes." The poet most likely includes these lines to
A) predict social change in the future
B) tell where he will eat the next day
C) express anger for past treatment
D) warn uninvited guests to stay away
3. Which of these best states the main idea of both "My People" and "I, Too"?
A) People should learn to be patient.
B) People should be proud of who they are.
C) People learn to appreciate beauty in nature.
D) People who are unhappy will grow stronger.
D
B
A
B
Dream Deferred
What happens to a dream deferred?
Does it dry up
Like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?
Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.
Or does it explode?
Questions for Discussion
1. The word "deferred" in the poem's first line means
A) destroyed.
B) disguised.
C) diminished.
D) delayed.
2. The poem employs all of the following figures of speech EXCEPT
A) onomatopoeia.
B) rhetorical questions.
C) metaphor.
D) simile.
Mother to Son
Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
Questions for Discussion
1. The mother says that “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” Used in this context, crystal means
A) transparent and colorless.
B) sharp and painful.
C) beautiful and flawed.
D) clear and smooth.
2. The mother’s dialect or manner of speaking helps to make the poem more
A) understandable.
B) realistic.
C) serious.
D) descriptive.
3. The mother tells her son to do all of the following EXCEPT
A) not to turn corners.
B) not to turn back.
C) not to fall.
D) not to set down.
4. The adjective listed that best describes the mother’s character is
A) pessimistic.
B) threatening.
C) cautious.
D) persevering.
5. The author’s use of a stairway to represent life is an example of
A) an allusion.
B) a hyperbole.
C) a metaphor.
D) personification.
6. Why do you think the author began and finished the piece with “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”?
A) To emphasize a key point
B) To make sure you understood the idea
C) To signify the passage of time
D) To highlight an unusual thought
In Time of Silver Rain
In time of silver rain
The earth
Puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads
Of life,
of life,
of life!
In time of silver rain
The butterflies
Lift silken wings
To catch a rainbow cry,
And trees put forth
New leaves to sing
In joy beneath the sky
As down the roadway
Passing boys and girls
Go singing, too,
In time of silver rain
When spring
And life
Are new.
Questions for Discussion
1. The narrator’s use of the word “silver” (line 1) suggests that the rain is
A) warm.
B) hard.
C) valuable.
D) safe.
2. According to the poem, “wonder” (line 7) is inspired by the
A) discovery of truth.
B) renewal of nature.
C) flight from reality.
D) freedom from stress.
3. The narrator describes the actions of both the flowers (line 5) and the leaves (lines 15 and 16) by using
A) alliteration.
B) hyperbole.
C) metaphor.
D) personification.
4. The actions of the “Passing boys and girls” (line 19) suggest
A) celebration.
B) discovery.
C) escape.
D) denial.
5. The overall attitude of the narrator toward nature is one of
A) disappointment.
B) appreciation.
C) uncertainty.
D) curiosity.
Brass Spittoons
Clean the spittoons, boy.
Detroit,
Chicago,
Atlantic City,
Palm Beach.
Clean the spittoons.
The steam in hotel kitchens,
And the smoke in hotel lobbies,
And the slime in hotel spittoons:
Part of my life.
Hey, boy!
A nickel,
A dime,
A dollar,
Two dollars a day.
Hey, boy!
A nickel,
A dime,
A dollar,
Two dollars
Buy shoes for the baby.
House rent to pay.
Gin on Saturday,
Church on Sunday.
My God!
Babies and gin and church
And women and Sunday
All mixed with dimes and
Dollars and clean spittoons
And house rent to pay.
Hey, boy!
A bright bowl of brass is beautiful to the Lord.
Bright polished brass like the cymbals
Of King David’s dancers,
Like the wine cups of Solomon.
Hey, boy!
A clean spittoon on the altar of the Lord.
A clean bright spittoon all newly polished—
At least I can offer that.
Com’mere, boy!