Notes for Langston Hughes' Biography Born - Beacon Learning Center
Notes for Langston Hughes' Biography Born - Beacon Learning Center Notes for Langston Hughes' Biography Born - Beacon Learning Center
Notes for Langston Hughes’ Biography Born: _________________________Died_________________________ Began writing: __________________________ Father lived in __________________________ Attended ____________University but quit after ___________________ Joined a boat to sail to _____________________. Stopped in __________different ports around the world. The poem ________________________was published in 1921 and in 1925 he published ___________________________. He wrote music as well as ___________. ______________. _________________. For most of his adult life, he lived in __________________(New York). His poetry reflects his life and culture because ______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________. Notes for Hughes’ Poetry Poem: A Dream Deferred What things does he compare a deferred dream to? __________________________________________________________________ What part of his own life might he think of as a ‘deferred dream’? ____________________________________________________________________ Poem: Dreams What should you do with your dreams? ________________When dreams die, what two things does the author compare them to? ______________________________________ Is this poem about race? Why or why not? Poem: Poem(2) What happened to the author’s friend in this poem? __________________________ Is race an important part of this poem? ______Why or Why not? ____________________________________________________________________ Poem: I, Too What does the author have to do in this poem? _____________________________ Why? ______________________________________________________________ How does he feel about it? _________________How do you know that? ____________________________ Is this poem about race? ______________________________________________ Poem: The Negro Speaks of Rivers What four rivers does the author name? __________________________________ Why do you think he mentions four different time periods associated with the rivers? Is this poem about race? ______________Why or why not? _____________________________________________________________________ Langston Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02
- Page 2 and 3: SUGGESTED Notes for Langston Hughes
- Page 4 and 5: 10. Langston Hughes lived most of h
<strong>Notes</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes’ <strong>Biography</strong><br />
<strong>Born</strong>: _________________________Died_________________________<br />
Began writing: __________________________<br />
Father lived in __________________________<br />
Attended ____________University but quit after ___________________<br />
Joined a boat to sail to _____________________.<br />
Stopped in __________different ports around the world.<br />
The poem ________________________was published in 1921 and in 1925 he published<br />
___________________________.<br />
He wrote music as well as ___________. ______________. _________________.<br />
For most of his adult life, he lived in __________________(New York).<br />
His poetry reflects his life and culture because<br />
______________________________________________________________________________<br />
__________________________________________________________________.<br />
<strong>Notes</strong> <strong>for</strong> Hughes’ Poetry<br />
Poem: A Dream Deferred<br />
What things does he compare a deferred dream to?<br />
__________________________________________________________________<br />
What part of his own life might he think of as a ‘deferred dream’?<br />
____________________________________________________________________<br />
Poem: Dreams<br />
What should you do with your dreams? ________________When dreams die, what two things<br />
does the author compare them to? ______________________________________<br />
Is this poem about race? Why or why not?<br />
Poem: Poem(2)<br />
What happened to the author’s friend in this poem? __________________________<br />
Is race an important part of this poem? ______Why or Why not?<br />
____________________________________________________________________<br />
Poem: I, Too<br />
What does the author have to do in this poem? _____________________________<br />
Why? ______________________________________________________________<br />
How does he feel about it? _________________How do you know that?<br />
____________________________<br />
Is this poem about race? ______________________________________________<br />
Poem: The Negro Speaks of Rivers<br />
What four rivers does the author name? __________________________________<br />
Why do you think he mentions four different time periods associated with the rivers?<br />
Is this poem about race? ______________Why or why not?<br />
_____________________________________________________________________<br />
<strong>Langston</strong> Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02
SUGGESTED <strong>Notes</strong> <strong>for</strong> <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes’ <strong>Biography</strong><br />
<strong>Born</strong>: MISSOURI, 1902 Died: 1967<br />
Began writing: AS A SMALL BOY<br />
Father lived in MEXICO<br />
Attended COLUMBIA University but quit after ONE YEAR<br />
Joined a boat to sail to AFRICA<br />
Stopped in 30 different ports around the world.<br />
The poem A NEGRO SPEAKS OF RIVERS was published in 1921 and in 1925 he published A<br />
COLLECTION OF POETRY.<br />
He wrote music as well as POETRY, FICTION AND DRAMA<br />
For most of his adult life, he lived in HARLEM (New York).<br />
His poetry reflects his life and culture because<br />
HE WRITES ABOUT RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, WHICH WAS VERY PREVALENT AT THAT<br />
TIME. HE WRITES ABOUT HOW IT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL. HE ALSO WRITES ABOUT<br />
POVERTY, WHICH OCCURRED DURING THE DEPRESSON, AND HIS MUSIC LYRICS WERE<br />
SET TO JAZZ, WHICH WAS VERY POPULAR DURING THE 20’S AND 30’S.<br />
<strong>Notes</strong> <strong>for</strong> Hughes’ Poetry<br />
Poem: A Dream Deferred<br />
What things does he compare a deferred dream to? A RAISIN, A SORE, A HEAVY LOAD<br />
What part of his own life might he think of as a ‘deferred dream’?<br />
FINISHING THE UNIVERSITY, OR BEING ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE WITHOUT REGARD TO<br />
HIS RACE.<br />
Poem: Dreams<br />
What should you do with your dreams? HOLD FAST TO THEM When dreams die, what two<br />
things does the author compare them to? A BROKEN-WINGED BIRD AND A BARREN<br />
FIELD<br />
Is this poem about race? NO Why or why not? EVERYONE HAS DREAMS AND FEELS<br />
FRUSTRATED AND HOPELESS WHEN THEY MUST BE DISCARDED OR CANNOT BE<br />
ACCOMPLISHED.<br />
Poem: Poem(2)<br />
What happened to the author’s friend in this poem? HE WENT AWAY<br />
Is race an important part of this poem? NO Why or Why not? ANYONE CAN HAVE A BELOVED<br />
FRIEND LEAVE OR MOVE AWAY<br />
Poem: I, Too<br />
What does the author have to do in this poem? EAT IN THE KITCHEN<br />
Why? BECAUSE OF HIS RACE<br />
How does he feel about it? HE FEELS ASHAMED AND BELIEVES HE IS JUST AS GOOD AS<br />
THE PERSON WHO SENDS HIM TO THE KITCHEN.<br />
Is this poem about race? YES<br />
Poem: The Negro Speaks of Rivers<br />
What four rivers does the author name? EUPHRATES, NILE, CONGO, MISSISSIPPI<br />
Why do you think he mentions four different time periods associated with the rivers?<br />
TO SHOW THAT THE NEGRO RACE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIETY SINCE THE BEGINNING<br />
OF CIVILIZATION.<br />
Is this poem about race? YES Why or why not? THE AUTHOR IS SAYING THAT THE NEGRO HAS<br />
CONTRIBUTED TO SOCIETY DOWN THROUGH THE AGES BUT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN<br />
RECOGNIZED FOR IT.<br />
<strong>Langston</strong> Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02
TEST <strong>for</strong> <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes (FCAT <strong>for</strong>mat)<br />
Directions: You may use your notes and the text of the poems to complete this test. Multiple choice<br />
questions count 1 point each. Short answer questions count 2 points and long answer questions count 4<br />
points.<br />
1. In the poem, ‘A Dream Deferred,’ what is a deferred or delayed dream compared to?<br />
A. A raisin dried in the sun<br />
B. A sore<br />
C. A heavy load<br />
D. All of these<br />
2. In the poem, ‘I, Too’ where does the author have to go to eat?<br />
A. Outside the house<br />
B. In the kitchen<br />
C. On the screened-in porch<br />
D. He doesn’t get to eat.<br />
3. In the poem, ‘I, Too’ why will “they” be ashamed?<br />
A. Because they lied to everyone<br />
B. Because they didn’t deserve to eat with everyone else<br />
C. Because the darker brother is also part of America and is beautiful<br />
D. Because no one cared<br />
4. In Poem (2) what happened to the author’s friend?<br />
A. He argued with him.<br />
B. He became ill and could no longer play with him.<br />
C. He didn’t have a friend.<br />
D. His friend went away.<br />
5. Which of these poems make no reference to race?<br />
A. Poem (2)<br />
B. I, Too<br />
C. The Negro Speaks of Rivers<br />
D. None of these<br />
6. In the poem “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” what four rivers are mentioned?<br />
A. Colorado, Nile, Tigris, Congo<br />
B. Euphrates, Congo, Nile, Mississippi<br />
C. He doesn’t really name any specific rivers.<br />
D. Appalachicola, Missouri, Colorado, Mississippi<br />
7. In ‘Dreams,” what should you do to your dreams?<br />
A. Tell them to someone<br />
B. Make up a poem about them<br />
C. Forget about them<br />
D. Hold fast to them<br />
8. In ‘Dreams,’ what are dreams that are gone compared to?<br />
A. Barren fields frozen with snow<br />
B. Broken stairs<br />
C. Dust and ashes<br />
D. Dead birds<br />
9. <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes wrote<br />
A. Songs<br />
B. Poetry<br />
C. Fiction<br />
D. All of these<br />
<strong>Langston</strong> Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02
10. <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes lived most of his adult life in _____________where he also wrote most of his pieces.<br />
A. Africa<br />
B. Mexico<br />
C. Missouri<br />
D. Harlem<br />
SHORT ANSWER:<br />
Use complete sentences to answer the following questions.<br />
11. Do you think the poem ‘Dreams’ was written by Hughes about his own life’s dreams? Why or why<br />
not?<br />
12. Why do you think Hughes mentions the four specific rivers in the poem, ‘The Negro Speaks of<br />
Rivers’?<br />
13. Why are the poems ‘Poem (2)’ and ‘Dreams’ called colorblind poems?<br />
LONG ANSWER:<br />
14. Quite often, an author’s writing is influenced by his background including where and when he lived.<br />
Many of <strong>Langston</strong>’s Hughes pieces fit this description. Explain what influence his life had on his<br />
writing and give at least two examples to prove the explanation.<br />
<strong>Langston</strong> Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02
Answer Key:<br />
Multiple choice questions = 1 point each<br />
1. D<br />
2. B<br />
3. C<br />
4. D<br />
5. A<br />
6. B<br />
7. D<br />
8. A<br />
9. D<br />
10. D<br />
Short Answer questions = up to 2 points each<br />
11. Students may express that the poem is about Hughes’ life or it isn’t, depending on their opinions.<br />
Make sure that they back up the answer with specifics from his life to support their opinions.<br />
12. The rivers represent times and places of ancient, great civilizations. The author wants us to know that<br />
the Negro was present throughout time and contributed to each society.<br />
13. Neither poem deals with a racial issue. The situations presented could apply to a person of any race.<br />
Long answer question = up to 4 points<br />
14. <strong>Langston</strong> Hughes lived during a time period when racial discrimination occurred. Many of his pieces<br />
reflect how he felt about it. In ‘I, Too,’ or ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers’ he refers to unfair treatment<br />
that was shameful and society’s ignoring of the Negro’s contribution. He also lived during the unique<br />
musical age of the 20’s that produced jazz. His music is reflective of that.<br />
<strong>Langston</strong> Hughes www.beaconlc.org©2002 Rev. 1/10/02