Langston Hughes created most of his works in or about Harlem, New York. His poetry was almost musical. It had a distinct rhythm and a flow to the words contained in the lines. He spoke of the issues and life of the black race and its plight "They send me to eat in the kitchen /When company comes/ But I laugh/…/And grow strong." (Lauter, 1605). The blues was such a prominent part of his life that he dropped out of Columbia University after two semesters to pursue the nightlife of Harlem.

Though at times Langston was a radical writer and addressed the issues with force, he also expressed great pride in being black and having a culture such as it. He was very proud and his poetry reflected that. He is known as a figure of hope in the black race's eyes, his poem inspired pride and strength in most African A

Another Hughes poem, "Same in Blues," attempts to establish further the idea of a "dream deferred," incorporating a type of dialogue between characters to explain the components of a "dream deferred," adding an element of anger to the end. The first stanza has a woman telling her man that she has to keep moving, followed by the lines, "There's a certain / amount of traveling / in a dream deferred." (Rampersand) This method continues through four stanzas, where people converse, and a new component is introduced: "a certain amount of nothing,/a certain amount of impotence." (Rampersand) The last component the poem introduces is the most effective: "There's liable / to be confusion / in a dream deferred." (Rampersand) The poem continues to say that" there's liable to be confusion / when a dream gets kicked around." (Rampersand) This last line seems to suggest the anger that many blacks feel - no longer is the dream "deferred." Now it is "kicked around," creating a harsher image and angrier feeling than the former.

Langston Hughes lived in an entirely different time, but he still causes a stir in the world of poetry. The themes of racial pride and personal dignity run rampant in all his works. He has taken the conventional styling of a poem, and changed it into something that all people can enjoy, a way for these authors to express themselves without being limited as to what to write about. Hughes was allowed to "think out of the box." Now, because of this, poetry is no longer two dimensional and flat. It now has a shape.

The next poem, somewhat shorter than the previous three, is “Comment on Curb," which also contains the more negative image of dreams being "kicked around" while hinting at the false illusion of hope that many had about Harlem. The poem, two stanzas long, states: "You talk like / they don't kick / dreams around / downtown." (Rampersand) Unlike "Same in Blues," "Comment on the Curb" is entirely dialogue. The poem consists of one person speaking of how dreams are "kicked around" downtown, while the other suggests that such things do not happen in Harlem: "I'm talking about Harlem to you!" (Rampersand) This poem, continuing with the image of dreams being abused to a great extent, demonstrates the view of Harlem as a place where dreams thrive. The title suggests that this type of dialogue occurred often, a comment made in passing, alluding to the idea that this view was a widespread and highly accepted one. "Comment on Curb" is a remark on the disillusionment of many blacks; it portrays their image of Harlem in an almost sarcastic manner, commenting indirectly on their unfortunate lack of information. The use again of the "kicked around" expression conveys the same type of anger that "Same in Blues" conveys: anger with the situation, anger with the anger with the lack of information blacks possessed, and moreover, anger with society's lack of respect for their dreams.

Langston Hughes, in utilizing the continuing "dream deferred" theme in his poetry, creates a powerful image that develops with each poem and links one poem to the next. Hughes communicates the dejection of blacks in Harlem with great clar

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