My People by Langston Hughes

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My People

by Langston Hughes

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

Literal analysis

The title of the poem simply states the subject of the poem, contributing to the conciseness of the piece. It suggests to the reader that the poem will be one that describes the subject mentioned in the poem. The title itself, “My People” sets the tone as one of endearment of pride because the author chooses to include that he feels a sense of belonging and admiration for the group of people described when he could have put “Black People” or “Negro People”, which wouldn’t have suggested his affiliation with the group. The title is very simple, but still manages to effectively convey the message of Black pride found in the poem. This poem is very clearly about the natural beauty of the African American people as a whole. It puts emphasis on their outer and inner beauty by comparing them to celestial objects traditionally used for similar comparisons.

The poem itself says a lot about Langston Hughes career and the message he wanted to get out. He wanted African Americans to embrace their culture as a distinctive and wonderful one and convey a love for black people the way they were, as opposed to what they were meant to assimilate to be. (elaborate…!) The way he mentions the night in the poem also reflects Hughes’s appreciation of the darker side of things, and how darkness can also be beautiful.

The poet’s attitude toward his subject is one of deep admiration and love. The poem’s narrator is speaking in the first person. Due to the style and message of the poem it’s possibly the voice of Hughes’s himself that is meant to be heard. He speaks to an audience of both black people, with the intention of creating the same sense of pride and appreciation that he feels, and possibly to white America to make those feelings known to them as well, (elaborate)

The poem uses descriptive imagery to appeal to a reader’s emotions. The images of the moon, the stars, and the sun create a very all-embracing sense of beauty that successfully captures the image of an entire