What are the poetic devices in Langston Hughes poem As you Grew older?

AS I GREW OLDER

- Langston Hughes -

About the poem

'As I Grew Older 'is a powerful poem by Langston Hughes, which talks about the racial discrimination that the black community experiences in their native country, America. The black Americans, in every manner, are considered as inferior to the white masters. They can only be the shadow of them. Their dreams, ambitions, visions, everything is being crushed and suppressed by the white masters. Process of growing up is a tough thing for a black American. He is often forced to shed his dreams. The poem passes through the visions of a black American boy whose dreams were crushed by the colour discrimination of the white masters. He wishes to break the strong wall of racial discrimination with his hope and optimism. The poem is the protest of a black mind against the white superiority complex and a social criticism against their strong feeling of discrimination.

Development of thought

Long ago the poet had a dream. Now it has been forgotten by him. But it was there within him like a bright sun. Later a wall began to rise between him and his dream. It slowly started to separate him from his dream. At first it dimmed its brightness. Later the wall touched the sky by completely hiding the brightness of the dream.

It was the wall of racial discrimination constructed by the white superior class. It shattered and crushed the dreams of the blacks. Here the poet is a black American. He can only live under the shadow of the white people, only under the shadow of the wall of discrimination, not under the bright light of his dream. Now he cannot see his dream, cannot enjoy its brightness. Above him, before him everywhere there is the black shadow of the wall. The wall is very thick and it is impossible for his black hands to break this wall and find his dream. But he wants to break the wall, break its shadow and darkness for the brightness of thousands of dreams.

'Dream'symbolises the visions, ambitions, wishes, hopes of future etc....of the black Americans.

'Wall'symbolises the feeling of discrimination of the white people on the basis of colour.

They believe white is the colour of superiority and black is the colour of slavery

The total idea of the poem becomes powerful with the contrast of the brightness and darkness. Here the dream is bright and the wall is dark. The dream is that of the black people's and the wall is that of the white people's. The white people darkened the brightness of the black people's dream with their wall.

-A version of reading by Kailasnath M.s (student of English literature)