Poetry of Langston Hughes

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!

What sentence best conveys the speaker’s message?

What is one difference in the themes of “Harlem” and “The Weary Blues”?

He made that poor piano moan with melody.
O Blues!
Swaying to and fro on his rickety stool
He played that sad raggy tune like a musical fool.

Sweet Blues!
Coming from a black man’s soul.
O Blues!

The phrases “O Blues!” and “Sweet Blues!” are examples of

What is one difference in the way sensory details are used in “Harlem” and “The Weary Blues”?

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?

In what way are the lines of “The Weary Blues” similar to the lyrics of a blues song?

In what way does the line “sags like a heavy load” in “Harlem” relate to the overall feeling of “The Weary Blues”?

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

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?