Significant differences between Robert Frost and Langston Hughes as poets

¶ … Expression of Meaning in the Poems of Langston Hughes and Robert Frost

Every poet writes to express a certain meaning, but the means of expressing that meaning can differ significantly. Two poets that show the differences that can occur are Langston Hughes and Robert Frost. These two poets are especially interesting to compare because they are opposites in regards to how they express their meaning.

Langston Hughes provides straightforward descriptions of real life, where the meaning is expressed in a direct way. In contrast, Robert Frost expresses meaning in an indirect way, where the meaning is below the surface with interpretation needed to uncover it. This major difference will now be described by considering several works from each poet.

The first poem that will be considered is "I, Too, Sing America" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, Hughes describes his experiences as a black man and how he is segregated from white society. He describes this be referring to how he eats in the kitchen when there is company. He also describes how he responds to this saying, "But I laugh, / And eat well, / And grow strong." The poem ends with Hughes describing how he will eat at the table and how people will see how beautiful he is and feel ashamed because "I, too, am America." This poem is representative of Hughes's style because it is based on a real situation as he has experienced. This poem also shows how Hughes is straightforward with his meaning. There is no underlying meaning in this poem. Instead it is right on the surface, with Hughes stating that people will be ashamed.

The next poem that will be considered is "Madam and Her Madam" by Langston Hughes. In this poem, Hughes describes his experiences working for a woman and how hard he was forced to work. This is another setting that shows how Hughes's work is based on real life experiences. The poem ends with the narrator describing how he asked the woman is she was trying to make him a pack-horse. The woman replies that she loves him. The final verse then reads, "I said, Madam, / That may be true-- / But I'll be dogged / If I love you!" This is representative of Hughes's style because of its directness. Just like in the previous example, the meaning is on the surface and obvious, with Hughes making it obvious how he feels and what he thinks.

The final poem of Langston Hughes's that will be considered is "Will V-Day Be Me-Day Too?" This poem is written as a letter from a black soldier to his fellow Americans. In the poem, the soldier describes how he is fighting in the war just like everyone else. At the same time, the soldier questions how he will be treated when the war is over. He asks, "Will I still be ill-fated / Because I'm black?" And "When I take off my uniform, / Will I be safe from harm-- / Or will you do me / As the Germans did the Jews?" The poem ends with the soldier stating what he wants, "Or will you stand up like a man / At home and take your stand / For Democracy? / That's all I ask of you." This is another poem representative of Hughes's style because it is based on a real situation and the real questions that black soldiers have. It also shows the same directness, where Hughes expresses his opinion and makes his point clearly. Just like the other two poems described, this poem shows how Hughes has a straightforward and direct style, where his work is based in reality and where he presents his meaning in a direct way.

Robert Frost is considerably different, because his poems are based on a less direct approach, where his poems offer a deeper reflection with the messages below the surface. This is seen in Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." The poem describes a person standing at a point where two paths converge into a wood and trying to decide which path to take. After considering which one to take and selecting one, the poem ends with the narrator saying that, "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference." The theme of this poem is about the choices that have to be made and about how you can never tell which choice is the best one to make. The most important point in regards to Frost's style is that the situation described acts as a metaphor for choices in life. This means that the meaning of the poem is not direct and on the surface. Instead, the meaning is based on interpreting the situation and considering what it represents. This shows that unlike Hughes, Frost's poems are not straightforward and direct. Instead, the meaning is beneath the surface and based on a deeper reflection.