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Harlem Renaissance Poets
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Langston Hughes and Billy Strayhorn
Langston Hughes played a significant role in the Harlem Renaissance, a period that saw the incorporation of the new cultural identity of the blacks in the literature world. Hughes advocated for the courage that would see the achievement of democracy, rather than embracing fear and expecting justice to come by itself. Hughes put down poems that were much encouraging to the blacks, mainly regarding democracy and its importance, as well as the need to fight for it, (Summers, 2016).
In his work, there is the evidence of double consciousness which denotes the psychological dualism on whether to remain faithful to the African roots or get cultural assimilation into the Euro-America perspective. Hughes demonstrates the double consciousness in that; in the poem about democracy, there is a failure to outline that there is no another way but to work towards the achievement of the freedom.
Billy Strayhorn is another poet of the Harlem Renaissance who made significant contributions to the period, (Early, 1996). In his writings, there was an encouragement of grabbing opportunities and doing things at the right time. He advocated that; without such agility in the taking of actions, there would be missing of critical opportunities in our lives. There was a special touch of encouragement to the blacks that they ought to rise to the available opportunities and not lie back and wait for the chance to wave away with time.

There was much usage of analogy in his writings in a bid to ensure conviction to the audience in an entertaining manner.
In his work, there is evidence of double consciousness. In his poem entitled ‘Take a Train”, there is a lack of taking one position that one ought to get the train and that it is the only viable option. The author leaves loopholes in the conviction. Without the double consciousness, there is much belief that the writer would have taken the direction of insisting that a person has to make every effort to take the train. There would also be an insistence that; if one misses the train, there is no proper remedy.
Themes
In the works of the two authors, there is a realization of the theme of decision-making. There is an encouragement to people to make the right choices as the time has come, (Jordan, 2011). In most of the works in the Harlem renaissance, there is evidence of themes touching on choices of democracy, (Leonard, 2016). In Hughe’s poem on democracy, there is support for people to make decisions about fighting for their rights before it is late. This theme is emphasized in the line saying “I do not need my freedom when I am dead.” In Strayhorn’s poem about taking a train, there is an encouragement for making the decision about going for the train at the right time. The emphasis is on the line saying “hurry, get on now it’s coming.”There is also the theme of accomplishment. Hughe’s poem on democracy, this idea is exposed on the line saying, “an own land.” In the Strayhorn’s poem on taking a train, the accomplishment is in the line saying “soon, you will be in sugar hill in.”
Poem
Together let’s walk, walk and walk and walk
Yes, let us walk
To that mountain
The mountain of hope where everyone sees
Their rights, and not just see but obtain
Let us put every effort
For the time has come
Not tomorrow, not the day that passes
The day is today
The day of making it certain
That we walk the path
That leads to the mountain
The mountain of hope
References
Early, G. (1996). Passion Flower. New Republic, 215(14), 42-45.
Jordan, G. (2011). Re-membering the african-american past. Cultural Studies, 25(6), 848-891. doi:10.1080/09502386.2011.605269
Leonard, D. (2016). Escape from New York: The New Negro Renaissance beyond Harlem. Journal Of American Culture, 39(1), 93-95. doi:10.1111/jacc.12467
Summers, I. (2016). Montage of a Queering Deferred: Memory, Ownership, and Archival Silencing in the Rhetorical Biography of Langston Hughes. Journal Of Homosexuality, 63(5), 667-684. doi:10.1080/00918369.2015.1111106