Langston Hughes - Let America be America Again (Period 7) by Laurice Sabala https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica Civil Rights, Poetry en-us 2017-02-21 19:05:56 UTC 2024-12-17 09:14:48 UTC hello@padlet.com Theme of "Let America Be America Again" lsabala1 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157101966 The theme of Langston Hughes' poem is that of the American Dream is not really attainable for all Americans because social freedom and equality has yet to truly exist. 

Directions:
1. Give at least 2 examples of where this is expressed in the poem. (Explain them in a short 2-3 sentences.)
2. Explain your two examples from the homework of how your idea of the American Dream contrasts to the poem. (Paragraph response!)
3. Comment on at least TWO other responses. You cannot respond to a post that already has more than two comments. (Response should be 3-4 sentences.)
4. Write your own stanza to add to the beginning or end of the poem that you think represents the theme and your own identity in the narrative of America. 

]]> 2017-03-01 17:27:23 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157101966 Cori wagner cwagner15 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164622 "Let America be America again" 
This person thinks that America is not America because it is not easy to obtain the American dream. He thinks that America needs to be America again and tat America should be treated equally. 
"It never was America to me."
The guy never got to have the American dream. He is oppressed from everyone else. He repeats that because he never got to live the American dream. He has only been oppressed. 
y homework connects to the American dream in many ways. My American dream is two things. First, it is to get a good job. Also, I want to live in a nice house, and have a perfect family. The last thing that I want to do is to be a lawyer. Luckily, I am not oppressed, so maybe I can reach my dreams. That is my American dream. The contrasts from the poem because his American dream is to be treated equally. This compares to the american dream because we both want something that we can not have yet, but we both are determined to get it. This also contrasts because he didn't say anything about what he wants, he just said he wants America to be equal but he didn't talk about anything he personally wants. I think tat this also contrasts because we are both going to work to get what we want. These dreams are also both on obtainable at the moment. ]]> 2017-03-01 20:10:47 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164622 Ben Yoder https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164630 "To build a homeland of the free. The free? Who said free?" America claims they are a country of freedom and social justice, but they aren't. Ethnic groups are still oppressed today, and that's bad." Let America be a great strong land of love." This is never going to happen. America will never be free until social freedom truly exists. That has yet to happen though. 
 Americans have persecuted many ethnic groups, from the blacks to the natives. They thought they'd have equality, but they were treated like low lives. Immigrants came here to escape the monarchs in Europe. They thoughta  democracy of all things would be fair. They were wrong! They were persecuted as well. They got stuck doing the jobs nobody wanted. They got no thanks, and they got no social justice!]]> 2017-03-01 20:10:49 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164630 Samantha Spinner https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164640 1) "There's never been equality for me,
      Nor freedom in this 'homeland of the free.'"
- This explains how America was never free and equality doesn't exist. The author is African American and writes about how he feels that his race was never free and has never felt equality. It proves the theme because it implies that there was no social freedom.
2) "O, let America be America again-
     The land that never has been yet-
     And yet must be-the land where every man is free.
     The land that's mine-the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME-
     Who made America,
     Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
     Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
     Must bring back our mighty dream again."
- This quote explains how America is claimed to have freedom for every man, but there isn't always one group who is excluded from the freedom. It proves the theme because it shows how the American dream was unattainable.

The American dream is having freedom in a country. It means feeling equal. I think it means being successful no matter what's your background is. There should be no hate against you for your race or religion. This compares to the poem because it refers to having freedom in our country. It explains how America has never been free. We can't make America great again if it was never great. There always was inequality and always will be if people are racist and sexist.


]]> 2017-03-01 20:10:50 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164640 Abbie Brodne abrodne https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164648 "Seeking a home where he himself is free."  In my paper this expresses what I wrote about. It is saying that there are multiple people in the world that are not free. They don't have homes and sometimes don't even have homes. I think that we able to change all of this and help people that don't have as much as us. 

"Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream." As well as this one someone can come to this place and expect more. You can come here and have the most basic dream for you and your family. Oh will notice that most of it isn't true because you are different or were not born here. I don't think that this is ok because others have an amazing life

]]> 2017-03-01 20:10:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164648 Cara Hall chall33 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164686 1. a)"Who said free? Not me." 
         This shows that the author doesn't believe that America is free, at               least not for the minorities and the oppressed people of America. This reflects the theme of the theme of the poem, that the American dream is unobtainable for some people. 
 b) "Dog eat dog, the mighty eat the weak."
 This shows that there is no way to escape the system. this system is where the poor, weak people cannot become stronger because the stronger ones prevent them from it. A world where money and greed are everything. This quote once again shows that for many who are oppressed, they cannot reach the American dream because they are crushed by people more privileged then them.  
2. My examples of the American dream are to be smart and successful, and to have a happy life. This contrasts the poem, where people who are not as luck as me have American dreams that are different. They might have a dream that they can escape the system that they are trapped in. They most likely just want to be equal, and have basic human rights, instead of having luxuries. ]]> 2017-03-01 20:10:56 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164686 Maggie Stutz https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164754 "Except the dream that's almost dead today," The author is saying that people come to America looking for freedom and equality. However, they never found it and are losing hope, making the dream almost gone.     
"And torn from Black Africa's strand I came," he I see saying that he was forced to come to America, and never got a chance to live the American dream. 

My idea of the American dream is that everyone will get an equal chance to succeed. This compares to the poem because he is talking about how he and many other people in America have never had a chance to live up to their potential. I also want to have a chance to discover what I want to do with my life, and to be able to do it. This also applies to the poem because he is talking about how many people's dreams are crushed because of oppression. That I said how's my idea of the American dream applies to the poem

]]> 2017-03-01 20:11:09 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164754 Tom Schermerhorn https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164921 The story talks about how the mighty always seem to be crushing the weak. The problem they have is low pay so they can't afford college and they have to work for low pay. Withthat  the cycle always stays the same. It talks about the man who never got ahead. It refers to the man who only has enough to support themselves and their family. 

My American dream is to have a house two cars and a family. In the story some people dreams might to be about just having a enough for extra food and not being scared that they might get sick and not be able to afford medicine.]]> 2017-03-01 20:11:39 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164921 Emma Brown ebrown58 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164932 1. From the story , " In search of what I meant to be my home- ..... to build a homeland of the free" , expresses his theme because it tells us that gen longs for a different, free America. Another quote, "I am the young man, full of strength and hope, tangled in that ancient endless chain of profit, power, ....." , expresses the theme by showing that he does hard work, but still undergoes racism, no acknowledgment, and hurtful comments. 
2. My idea of the American Dream is accomplishing your goals, and having a successful life. The poem contrasts with this dream , because it simply asks for freedom, and liberty. The author writes about how he wants all races and backgrounds to be equal, and be able to accomplish their dreams just as well as whites do. There is no point in the poem where success is asked for, a beautiful house, a happy family, or royalty. He just asks for a life,  a place to live,  happiness, and to be acknowledged. The author asks for his freedom, and the America that was promised. 

]]> 2017-03-01 20:11:41 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157164932 Mhairi Wardrop https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157165096 Example 1: "And finding only the same stupid plan."
This quote means that the author feels if he tries and tries he still come up with the same results. He feels the plan is stupid and doesn't help people make their dreams come true.
Example 2: "Except the dream that's almost dead today."
This quote explains that the American Dream is not alive and relevant today. He is saying that it can't apply to today's society because many things have changed.

In my homework response, I described the American Dream as having a family with a lot of money. In the poem, Langston describes the American Dream as something that's is dead today. This contrasts to the story because the author believes that the American Dream is people in America doing what they love and getting credit for it. He does not say anything about a family or how much money they are willing to make. Secondly, I said in my homework that for some people the American Dream could be having a good job that you like without dealing with prejudices and the fear of being oppressed. This compares to the poem because Langston believes the same. He also explains the fear of being oppressed in America his poem ]]> 2017-03-01 20:12:09 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157165096 Fernando Vian https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157165833 1. 'I am the negro bearing slaverys scars'
Some one who once owned a slave may have a bias against a former slave which would put the former slave at a disadvantage. 
'I am the red man driven from the land'
This means that someone from the Native American person would not have the same chance as a white person because they were forced off of their land.
2. My view of the American dream is that anyone no matter what their race, religion, or intellectual level, if they work as hard as they can they should be able to make it in this country. When Mr. Hughes talks about the immigrant running into the same  problem of not getting anywhere conflicts with my own experience of the American Dream. Also when he talks about how the working man just works for the machine also conflicts with my personal experience of the American dream.

]]> 2017-03-01 20:14:15 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157165833 Maggie Lazar https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157166100  1)          There are many examples in the poem of how the American Dream doesn't work out for all Americans. The first example I found really followed this theme was a sentence, but it is the meaning of a million words. This example is " I am the Negro, servant to you all", this really symbolizes the theme of this poem. It shows that white men have been treating them like they aren't people and are their servants. People like them are working people that never get ignknowledged and are treated with disrespect. The other quote I found really spoke the theme too. This quote was " I am a red man driven from the land", this really showed how labeled people are from what they look like and what they believed. Just because they are from a certain place and have the blood of the ancestors where they are from, doesn't mean that they should be judged and critiqued for where they come from.  These two comments really connect with the theme and what the true meaning of the poem is. 

2) My ideas from the poem and how I feel about it that is really explained in the homework. Some of the quote should on my homework really contrast with the theme of the poem. One example from my homework is when is I talked about the diversity of different people that are ignored. This really explains how in the peom they talked about how the American Dream will never come true some people because of their race. They can never live out the Dream because they are always being judged about their race of ethnic group. Another example I used in my peom is when I said white men are the only group that no one is predjudence about. This is because in the peom it talks about how they treat other groups like slaves and labor workers. White men can live out the American Dream and African Americans and Latinos can never live out that Dream. People are always predjudice about these people and it is really demonstrated through this poem. ]]> 2017-03-01 20:15:01 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157166100 Matthew Flick https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157201343 1)      "I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars." This quote represents the theme of this poem because it states that social freedom and equality doesn't truly exist. It talks about how black people are still effected by slavery. "I am the red man driven from the land." This quote represents the theme of the poem for the same reason as the last quote. It tells us how the Native Americans were driven away from this country.
2)     The American Dream is the idea that every American citizen should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity 
through hard work. My idea of the American Dream is for all American citizens to have the same oppurtunity to achieve their goals. It shouldn't be based on their race, but the work they put into their goals and future. However, it states in this poem that not all people are created equal and that people of color are discriminated against. That is how my belief of the American Dream differs from the poems belief of the Amerrican Dream.]]> 2017-03-01 23:22:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157201343 Jake Mastrofski jmastrofski https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157467373 1) "I am the negro bearing slavery scars, I am the red man driven from his land, I am the immigrant..."
 This example shows how all people are affected by the so called American Dream. We all can't journey to find it, but only the rich can truly achieve pleasure. The American Dream is almost unobtainable. 

2) "America was never America to me."
 America, the land of the free was founded on the idea of equality. It never became this to Langston. There's always been injustices in this world, and it shouldn't change soon based off the author.]]> 2017-03-02 19:59:41 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157467373 Ben Yoder Stanza https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157726603 I am the privileged man.
I am the "rich little white boy."
I may not be oppressed, but I'm abused.
They make fun of my "perfect" heritage.
They accuse me of not living through hardship.
They are those who can't partake in the "American Dream."
To me, it's not a dream.
To me, it's a reality.
But they don't understand.

]]> 2017-03-03 19:45:35 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157726603 Let America be America Agin ebrown58 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157726694 Let America be America again 
Let me be the Dreamer I want to be 
Let it be the free, equal country, 
That I wish it to be

( My future was never promised to me) 

I am the hardworking,
I am the determined,
Give me the peace I deserve to achieve, 
Give me my goals, my future my destiny, 

(America was never America to me) 
 

]]> 2017-03-03 19:46:03 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157726694 Fernando Vian https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727017 I am the PRIVELAGED man
I SPIT on the sweat of the working man
I dance on the GRAVE of the soldier fallen
While others SUFFER, I laugh
I'm on my JET while others are in the fields ]]> 2017-03-03 19:47:21 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727017 Mhairi Wardrop https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727111 I am a girl who goes to private school.
I am the girl who feels oppressed by teachers. 
Our school isn't the same as it used to be. 
I wake up every morning and go through the same dreary routine.  
I am banished the the school system for years and years. 
We are in a repetitive cycle that won't stop. 
No creativity, no being unique. 
No nothing.
When will the cycle stop?]]> 2017-03-03 19:47:41 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727111 Matthew David Flick https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727215 I am the young white male,
not knowing of other people but myself.
Living a sheltered life away from other people,
not seeing those that are different.
All I know is that of the small town I live in,
I am a white boy.]]> 2017-03-03 19:48:11 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727215 cwagner15 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727317 2017-03-03 19:48:39 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727317 Jake Mastrofski (Pt. 2) jmastrofski https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727588 A am the young white boy,
Living a sheltered life.
I know nothing of the world; 
The damage that's done with one knife.
I'm full of dreams and hope,
Growing up in Wilmette.
But am I ready for the real world?
Nope, not yet.

]]> 2017-03-03 19:49:51 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727588 Tom Schermerhorn https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727914 I am the Native American needing to fish for my only food. 
I am the unheard protestor discriminated by the government. 
No matter what we do the government tries to swat uss like a fly. 
More flies come but they are swatted away too. ]]> 2017-03-03 19:50:57 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727914 Cara Hall chall33 https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727939 I am a brown haired girl
Who goes to private school
I am a resident of 
Who is very privledged

I dream of an equal world
For those not as lucky as me
I dream of justice, no oppresion
for all black people, Asians and more

I want to make America
The way it was meant to be 
No injustice, no evil
No greed and no envy

That's not the country I want
The place I want to live
Is surrounded by love and respect
A life af not take, but give

]]> 2017-03-03 19:51:05 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157727939 abrodne https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157729172 2017-03-03 19:56:03 UTC https://padlet.com/lsabala1/LetAmerica/wish/157729172