Question

Let America be America again The tone of the poem shifts somewhat in the first stanza of this section of the poem. How does it shift? What words and images in this stanza help contribute to this tone shift?
What impact does the heavy use of question marks have on the tone and message of the poem?

Answer 1

Answer:

The tone of the poem mellowed down somewhat to show the hope that the individual carried with him to America. The phrases "dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true", are used to describe this hope.

The images "dark Ireland’s shore", "Poland’s plain", "England’s grassy lea", "Black Africa’s strand" contribute to the shift in this stanza and are used to show what the individual left behind to build "a homeland of the free".

The heavy use of questions marks emphasizes the angry tone of the poem, and introduces and element of sarcasm to it.

Explanation:

Langston Hughes is writing a poem of someone who feels that America does not live up to what it should be. The tone is angry and resentful. He points to the people who’ve come here with hopes and dreams and they’re being let down. He’s also saying that there is an economic disparity between people. In essence, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, because there is not equal opportunity.