Langston Hughes and "Theme for English B"- Summer School

Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance: Crash Course Literature Watch the video to learn about the poet Langston Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance. Then answer the following questions. If the video link doesn't work, do this: while the video is loading, click in the upper left corner on the name of the video and it will take you to youtube so that you can watch it. When did the Harlem Renaissance begin? After World War I After World War II After the Civil War After the Vietnam War What year was Hughes born? 1920 1942 1902 1914 Why did Hughes start writing poetry in school? It was how he discovered he could express himself. He was elected class poet. His mother encouraged him to write. A teacher inspired him to try writing poems. What river did Hughes see while riding a train that served as his initial inspiration for ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers”? Nile River Congo River Mississippi River Missouri River What was Hughes saying about dreams in his poem “Harlem”? That as long as the speaker dreams, anything is possible. That the speaker's dreams will need to be deferred. Harlem residents are living the American dream. Harlem is the speaker's dream destination. "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes Watch this visual dramatization of the poem before answering the questions. Theme. The theme of a poem is the message about life or human nature that the poet presents to the reader. This poem deals with a specific theme – the struggle a writer goes through when creating a literary work. List some of the reasons that the poet gives for this struggle. Describe some of your own experiences that you have had when it comes to writing. Do you struggle like Hughes? Why or why not? Rhyme Scheme Identify the rhyme scheme of the first 5 lines of the poem. Click on the dot to record the rhyme scheme.Interestingly, Hughes begins his poem with rhyme and ends it with rhyme, but the rest of the poem is free verse. a b b c c In “Theme for English B”, when the instructor says to “let the page come out of you,” what does he or she most probably mean? “Try to be the best writer you can be.” “Express your identity in your writing.” “Your writing should always appear effortless.” “Complete this writing assignment on your own.”