Claude McKay and Langston Hughes were both powerful writers during the Harlem Renaissance; a movement during the early 1020’s. McKay and Hughes both use complex themes, explicit imagery, and very unique views of the African American Experience during their time. Both poems were very similar, they both provided a reference to how slaves weren’t through their life and lived each day to the next. These poems do have their exceptions and are very different. In McKay’s poem, he simply abides by the owners rule, while Langston wishes to stand up for himself. Langston Hughes poem “I, Too, Sing America” conveys a message of him saying I will stand up for America. He mentions in the poem saying “I am the darker brother” referring to his race. He also states “they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes” stating he is a slave. Hughes envisions a better life where he isn’t set aside from others and is no longer sent to the kitchen; where he is considered bellow the common folk. He felt oppressed in the kitchen, and mentions he wants to be free. “Tomorrow I’ll be at the table.” He is very aggressive and determined to break away from oppression (“Nobody’ll dare say to me”), and is simply saying I will no longer be oppressed.
Claude McKay’s poem “America” talks about the negative impacts towards his life. He states “she feeds me bread of bitterness” and “stealing my breath of life”. He author is very discontent with his life, but in his line “I love this cultured hell that best my youth!” He is actually neutral about his work life at this point. McKay’s Point of view is that it is just a struggle we are all meant to deal with. After all of his hard work it all ends up “sinking in the sand.” Langston Hughes poem focuses on how he wants’ to abolish slavery and wants to make his life better, he is searching for freedom. McKay on the other hand is not trying to abolish slavery, but he talks about how he can coexist with it. McKay sees it as a struggle slaves in America have to develop a custom to. Both
