Student Question

How does Langston Hughes use literary terms to enhance "The Weary Blues"?

Quick answer:

Langston Hughes enhances "The Weary Blues" using literary devices such as contrast and hyperbole. Contrast is evident between the educated narrative voice and the urban, uneducated blues language, highlighting social differences. Hyperbole is used to emphasize time passage, as seen in the line "The stars went out and so did the moon." These devices help Hughes convey deeper meanings and add value to his poem.

Expert Answers

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For writing to be viewed as poetry, it must include a variety of characteristics such as rhyming. Aware of poetic characteristics, Hughes uses a variety of literary devices in his poem "The Weary Blues." For writers, literary devices are structures that convey messages in a simple manner to the readers. 

Two literary structures used by Hughes in his poem are contrast and hyperbole. When readers use the term contrast to discuss his poem, they are analyzing his focus on differences.

The language used by the narrative voice and the language of the blues present a formal pattern of contrast. The former is primarily educated and in standard American English. The latter, with negatives such as “ain’t got nobody” and nonstandard pronunciation and sound (“I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’”), reflects the urban, uneducated, working-class person.

Another literary term used in analysis is hyperbole which uses exaggeration for emphasis. Towards the end of the poem Hughes includes the line "The stars went out and so did the moon" to express the amount of time that passed during the man's performance.

Overall, in using common poetic structures well, Hughes makes his poem have value.

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