The topic of walking during the Harlem Renaissance. Differences between Claude McKays "Harlem Shadows" and Langston Hughes "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" (PDF)

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,3, University of Göttingen, language: English, abstract: The paper compares Claude McKay's "Harlem Shadows" and Langston Hughes' "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" with regards to the topic of walking during the Harlem Renaissance.

The poems arise from the Harlem Renaissance and deal with the topic of racism and the oppression of the Blacks. Moreover, both poems include the theme of walking. Hughes and McKay, who write about their emotions and experiences with Blacks being oppressed by society, do not actually take a walk or journey in the poems, which will be further discussed in the following chapters. The selected pieces differ from each other in their style and the way the theme of walking is presented which has to be examined. In literature classes, one should draw attention on these works as they are different from common Walk Poems and deal with important topics.

The second chapter will have a closer look on the Harlem Renaissance. Apart from the historical background, emphasis will be put on the so-called "Negro-culture" in literature. The mentioned poems by McKay and Hughes will be analyzed with regards to the theme of walking. A conclusion summarizes the results and points out the importance of these literary works in the context of the Harlem Renaissance as well as the representation of Walk Poetry.