In the poem "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes, the speaker makes a powerful statement about the difference between the ideals on which the United States was founded and what it has actually become. He laments that "those who live like leeches on the people's lives" have taken over the country, and emphasizes that the deprived multitudes must take it back again.

Hughes uses repetition to magnify the strength of the statement he is making. Specifically he uses a device called anaphora, which is the repetition of the first parts of sentences to emphasize what is being said. He uses this several times throughout the poem. For instance, at the beginning of the poem, the speaker continually repeats the phrases "let America be" and "let it be" so that they sound like a chant. This is to emphasize the fervent heart cry of his hope. He is expressing his dreams and his ideals. However, between the stanzas he interjects that America has never been like this for him.

Hughes uses the next series of repetitions to emphasize the identity of the speaker of the poem, stating over and over "I am" and then lists all the various groups of oppressed people that the narrator represents such as poor whites, African Americans, Native Americans, immigrants, farmers, and factory workers.

Next Hughes uses repetition of the phrase "and all the" to emphasize all the things that oppressed people have done to try to secure and prove the freedom that they should be able to enjoy. They have sung songs, held hopes, and hung flags, but in return they have been given nothing.

Finally, near the end of the poem, the speaker uses the phrase that opens the poem, "let America be America again," to emphasize that this is still his hope and his dream.