In “The Weary Blues,” Langston Hughes uses negative language to create an overall off-putting atmosphere. The relentless dark imagery causes the reader to overlook a message underlying, as the poem actually encourages its readers to overcome any obstacle in their way. Rather than be brought down by one's problems, one should get back up and continue to resist the slow fall into depression. instill hope in African Americans primary audience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned”? Get an original essay. At the beginning of the poem, Hughes describes a struggling musician with a weak management of his problems the poem begins with "Droning a sleepy syncopated tune" (1), a simple line with a plethora of information intertwined as the first line of the poem, establishes a melancholy tone, while maintaining a strangely rhythmic aspect the presence of syncopation changes the meaning of the beginning of the verse. It adds a sense of hope, a kind of light at the end of the tunnel. The subject of the poem swings "back and forth with a sweet croon" (2) playing. Despite the sleepy and monotonous scene, music continues to pour out of the piano. The man who sways contentedly to his melody, which is overflowing with negativity, displays the golden qualities of the race. On the surface they are described as successful and joyful people, but once you get to the heart of the matter, the situation changes. A confused and wavering core contrasts with the shiny crust that surrounds it. This negative representation is the baseline from which the subject slowly loses grip. As the poem progresses, the reader gains a better understanding of the musician's thought process. The speaker specifies the individual playing the melody as an African American, but does not attach any positive or negative connotations to it. "I heard a nigger comedy." (3), an objective statement, disconnects the speaker from the situation. This negates any bias the speaker has on the topic and makes the reader trust the speaker more. The speaker continues to describe the scene, saying he saw the musician “Down on Lenox Avenue the other night.” (4) Lenox Avenue, a major thoroughfare in downtown Harlem, places the subject in a hotbed of African-American art and creativity. The reference to the New York street links Hughes' poem to the Harlem Renaissance and adds subterranean meaning. The basis of the cultural movement was the aptitude and skill of African Americans; it takes talent to make the old, battered piano play the smooth, sweet melody. Here the poem takes a different turn: instead of exploring the positive aspects of African Americans, the speaker adds something to the scenario. The man played “From the dull paleness of an old gas light.” (5) The shadowy appearance contrasts with the brightness and excitement of the Roaring Twenties in America. The obsolete gas light, used and gloomy, could not hold a candle to the new electric lights of the time. “He took a lazy swing… / He took a lazy swing…” (6-7), emphasizes the man's simple rock as he plays. The repetition of the line adds rhythm to the verse and makes the meaning of the line more evident. Hughes continues to compile the man's misfortunes, but adds a glimmer of uniqueness and a sense of pride as he writes in blues form. The blues is a uniquely African-American art form. Hughes uses it to identify with the subject and the intended audience. Reflecting the title, the speaker describes the man swaying “to the tune of those Weary Blues.” / With his ebony hands on every ivory key / he made moan ofmelody that poor piano” (8-10). The poet not only introduces the Blues by connecting the syncopated melody to the syncopated poetry of the time, but also the subject's “ebony hands on every ivory key” (9). This contrast shows the cliché “black man in a white world” and shows the man who plays the world like a piano and creates melodious music from It. Using the stereotypes of the time, the author compares the pianist's situation with his successes. This encourages others to do the same and overcome adversity with their own abilities. Just like the dull lamp, the wobbly stool increases the weight on the pianist's shoulders. The man “rocks back and forth on his wobbly stool” (12). The unstable base is a reference to the man's shaky past, yet it still supports him and the man is successful. Even with second-rate equipment, the musician “played that worn tooth like a musical madman. Sweet blues!” (13-14) The man does not mind playing on a beat-up piano rather than in a private club in a wealthy neighborhood. Music is seen as indifferent to race and situation. Like other art forms, it allows one to express oneself on a uniform plane. Showing more of the musician's connection to his piece, the speaker describes the music as "coming from the soul of a black man." (15) Rather than being a product of the musician, his song becomes a part of the man. The sad song that plays now is even more connected to him personally. The metaphorical gray cloud above the man's head swells with a discouraging rain as Hughes continues to describe him. The situation gets even worse when the man starts singing. The man no longer just plays a sweet blues tune, his melancholic lyrics further reveal his plight. Even before the actual text, the reader can imagine the man calmly letting the words flow from his mouth. “With a deep, melancholy tone singing voice I heard that negro singing, that old piano moaning…” (17-18), the man and the instrument have a connection with each other. As a unit, the somber couple sang "I have no one in all this world, I have no one but myself" (19-20). This first sentence of the text isolates man and his ethnicity from the rest of the world. African Americans feel like no one but them cares about them and that they are quarantined from the rest of humanity. To finish the thought and verse, the lyrics say, “I'm about to stop frowning and put my problems on the shelf” (21-22). The use of Ebony dialect in the lyrics positions the man as distinctly African American who does not speak the accepted "white" English. This distinctive quality among African Americans makes them one with the subject of the poem. Putting his problems aside, the musician in the poem decides to stop allowing his problems to get in his way. Must rely on his own will to achieve goals, the man decides to stop letting difficulties make him unhappy and overcome them with strength. The pianist teeters on the edge of depression later, a few lines earlier, deciding to resist falling into such a state. ; the man is unstable and thinks of giving up on life. At the beginning of the final verse, the musician briefly stops singing to tap the rhythm with his foot and play intermittent chords before continuing to sing. “I got the Weary Blues/ And I can't be satisfied. / I am tired tired / And I cannot be satisfied” (25-28). The man knows his sad condition, but decides that there can be no end to his sadness. The previous text of putting his problems on a shelf seems to have only led to more problems. These “Weary Blues” never seem to disappear, yet he continues to play. The last two lines of the text are, 2021.