Analysis, impressions and insights in I Look at the World.

 

 

        In I Look at the World the poet, Langston Hughes, reflects on 

the struggles African Americans face under segregation while 

using his observations to call for an end to this oppressive system.

In order to better analyze this poem in detail and share my 

interpretation of its meaning, I need to shed some light on the 

historical background events surrounding this struggle, then 

emphasize intersectionality highlighting that everyone has their 

own experience of discrimination. Finally, I need to elaborate 

further on Hughes’s steps taken to build his poem leading to a 

final point of greatest intensity: a call to action. All this to prove 

that no matter how old this poem is, segregation is still relevant 

in our current times and finding a way to combat it is as urgent 

now as it was in the sixties.

 

        The poem was written in 1930, in New York city, during the era 

of the African American cultural movement: the Harlem Renaissance.

 It was considered a great time for showcasing creativity in theater, literature, 

poetry and music. The Harlem Renaissance was a result of the 

South to North Great Migration due Jim Crow segregation laws 

that have oppressed African Americans. Hughes was a major figure in 

the Harlem Renaissance. His poem I Look at the World is a written 

reflection of the struggles African Americans face because of 

segregation. The experiences of African Americans who came 

from the South brought with them a revolutionary spirit that 

was reflected in Harlem’s culture and soon influenced the civil 

rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The message of the poem 

serves as inspiration for those currently fighting injustice. 

The culture that came from Harlem helped influence campaigns 

against the systemic oppression African Americans faced in the 

South and still face nowadays as a result of the overlapping 

social identities and what comes with it in the form of 

discrimination affecting all stages of life.

         Intersectionality helps us delve into the understanding of 

Hughes I Look at the World, as it highlights how segregation of 

African Americans intertwined with other forms of systemic 

oppression. The Oxford Dictionary defines intersectionality 

as “the network of connections between social categories such as

 race, class and gender, especially when this may result in 

additional disadvantage or discrimination.” While

 being a student at Columbia University, Hughes was denied 

room access on campus because of his skin color. He eventually 

was able to stay at a residence on campus but still faced racism 

among his white classmates simply because he didn't fit in with the WASP 

(White Anglo-Saxon Protestant) culture dominant at the time. 

This is not different than our current times where there are 

forms of discrimination based on race, sex, etc.… especially in 

countries accepting immigrants or dealing with native 

populations where a person with distinctive color of skin, 

religion and racial background intersect and overlap. 

That is why it is important to consider all these factors that 

affect and marginalize people. 

 

        Finally, in his poem I Look at the World, Langston writes in a 

rebellious tone to call for action against the oppression African 

Americans face in the USA. 

In lines like:

     “That all these walls oppression builds

    Will have to go!”

    “Then let us hurry, comrades,

    The road to find.”

 the poet's tone dramatically shifts from observant to reflective, 

then shifts to a call for action against what he labels as 

“walls of oppression,”: segregation. This can be seen as a 

message for a call for action against oppression African 

Americans face. When it comes to sound, meaning, arrangement, 

and images of words in Hughes' poem, he uses various poetic 

devices to highlight the struggles African Americans face under 

segregation while calling for an end to these injustices. 

Through alliteration and assonance, repetition of words like, 

"look" and "world," Hughes creates a rhythm that not only 

draws attention to his observations but also reinforces the theme 

of constantly confronting oppression. Metaphors and symbolism, 

such as the "wall" representing barriers imposed by segregation, 

deepen the poem’s meaning. The free verse structure mirrors the 

unpredictable nature of racial struggle. Enjambment, lines like  

“I look at the world / From awakening eyes in a black face,” 

further enhances the tension, reflecting both the continuous fight 

for equality and moments of frustration. Vivid imagery, like the 

"black face" and the oppressive "walls," along with 

personification of barriers, makes the struggle feel tangible. 

These devices work together to strengthen Hughes' powerful call 

for freedom and justice.

 

        In conclusion, with the influence of the Harlem Renaissance, the 

discrimination and privilege of American society, and the 

structure of the poem, I Look at the World, is a reflection of the 

struggle African Americans face due to segregation and how it 

still continues today as a result of similar forms of oppression 

creating culture wars.