Langston Hughes and Religion Essay -- African American Poets Poetry Li

Langston Hughes and Religion Langston Hughes in several songs denounced sacred belief, inferring that devotion did not exist any longer. In reading these poems, the reader canes that Hughes was expressing his feelings of betrayal and abandonment, against his tend, by religion and the church. Hughes had a talent for writing poems that would start a discussion. From these discussions, Hugh es could yet hope for realization from the public, of how religion and the church treated the Black race. Hughes wrote dickens poems that generated a lot of discussion about religion and African-Americans. One was gambol for pass Night (Fifth Avenue), the other was Goodbye Christ. Once when Hughes was asked about religion, he responded, I grew up in a not very religious family, but I had a foster aunt who saw that I went to church and Sunday school (qtd. In E humanityuel 914). Even though Hughes grew up attending church and Sunday school he could see how r eligion and churches treated his race. This is evident in Drama for Winter Night (Fifth Avenue). The poem begins You cant sleep here My good man, You cant sleep here. This is the house of God. The demonstrate opens the church door and goes out. (1-5).In doing this, the usher of the church on Fifth Avenue, aband sensationd someone less prosperous in order to maintain a good appearance. This house of God, which should be opening its doors to give a he lping hand, turns away a man in need of help. Hughes shows betrayal in the same poem, when the less miraculous man asks St. Peter if he can stay. St. Peter replies, You ca... ...nt of the Black race by religion and the church. I feel Hughes was successful in this endeavor. Hughes sums his firm perspective of religion, the church and the Black race, when he told a reporter, Religion is one of the innate needs of mankind. What I am against is the misuse of religion. (qtd. Emanuel 914). Works Cited Berry, Faith. On Hughess Repudiation of Goodbye Christ. Meyer. 916-17Emanuel, James A. Hughess Attitudes toward Religion. Meyer. 914-15.Hughes, Langston. Drama for Winter Night (Fifth Avenue). Meyer. 891 ---. Goodbye Christ. Meyer 898-99.Meyer, Michael. ed. Langston Hughes (1902-1967). The Bedford Introduction to Literature 4th ed. Boston St. market ins Press,1996. 883-89.Meyer, Michael. ed. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed.Boston St.Martins