Ain't and Such: Ebonics and Language in Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen

Most, if not all, of us are familiar with ebonics. Think back to the way that Jim talked in Huckleberry Finn and you have a pretty good idea of how the African-American slang is written out. I use the term "African-American" very deliberately here since the ebonics of black Americans differs from other Africans in the world. For example, when the Trinity Gospel Choir went on tour to England several years ago, the title for the tour was "It Ain't Over." After several days on tour, it became obvious that our audience had no idea what "ain't" meant. It was then that I began to realize that the ebonics of America were not internationally understood and I found the uses of ebonics in the poetry of both Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen to be interesting.

Word choice is often important to understanding poetry, and in the case of Hughes' poem “Mother to Son,” the language of the mother gives the woman narrator a sense of actually existing in the real world. Line two references the same thing I noted in the first paragraph: “Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.” The same voice of ebonics is used in “The Weary Blues” to give personality to the blues piano player and “Note on Commercial Theatre” with yet another blues player. Word choice is important to this accent, but so is altered grammar like in line seven, “Yep, you done taken my blues and gone.” While these seem like little observations, it is important to see why a particular voice is used in these three poems but not in others. Hughes uses the ebonic voice when the perspective of the mother and blues player is necessary, but not when the character is able to shine through in other ways like the rhyme scheme, structure, or a turn of a phrase.

Cullen uses ebonics and word choice effectively as well in “Uncle Jim.” The purpose of quoting Uncle Jim saying “White folks is white” is to convey his character. However, Cullen rarely uses colloquial language in his other poems in the anthology if ever. He prefers to use high religious language in “Yet Do I Marvel” and “Heritage” instead to convey the tone and context of the poetry. In the same way, Cullen's lack of ebonics does not mean that he is any less American than Hughes, simply different. While Hughes talks of the history of Africans in America and the African-American culture of Chicago and Harlem, Cullen's “Heritage” speaks to a desire to identify with his ethnicity and Africa but feeling unable to connect after being “centuries removed” from it.

Both poets choose their words, grammar, and structure carefully to express their feelings about culture, origins, and language. Seeing the differences between their use of ebonics and language can help us understand these poets and what they were trying to accomplish in using language that we may or may not be familiar with.

Neither Garbage Nor Rubbish

I'm not sure how to keep the format (double-spacing, etc.) from Pages to here. Anyhow, here it is.

Andy Koenig

Word Count: 896

Throughout Walt Whitman’s poetic masterpiece Leaves of Grass, the reader gets the sense that the author believes he has it all figured out. Line after line, we feel Walt’s swagger, as if he is calling out, “I am America. Do as I say, and become fulfilled.” But along the way, the reader might become irritated. How can this man -- whose writing seems to be mere rambling -- possibly expect that anyone would take his words to heart, let alone read them to begin with? Many people agree with this sentiment. They believe Whitman is cocky, self-centered, and an obsessive patriot. In the end, some might even say it is “rubbish.”

Although his writing might be sporadic, the argument cannot end there. Writing is not just about the words on the page at face value, but about motives and emotions behind those words. So what if instead of looking at just the words on the page, we look at the motives behind the words and the effects afterwards? I believe that if we look deeper into Whitman’s intended influence, there is a lot of truth to be found. I’m not saying that the man is a genius, but we should not dismiss him completely simply because we think he’s unorthodox.

When I first began to read Leaves of Grass, I was bored and confused and did not care much for what Whitman had to say. I think I went into the book thinking that I would be disappointed. I had often heard about what a great book it was, but I’m not one to take suggestions very often. However, I was not going to be dismayed. I did something I rarely do and read the book again. This time, line after line jumped out at me, captured me, and captivated me. By the end, I was speechless. I honestly was not sure how I was supposed to write this essay. I had a million thoughts racing through my head about how brilliant this work was that I did not know where to begin.

For starters, I knew I was impressed with Whitman’s boldness. To me, Whitman’s attitude does not seem selfish, it seems confident, and it is an attitude we should all carry. I had an experience this past summer where some of my coworkers were patronizing me for doing certain things that I enjoy which they considered to be ‘weird,’ such as spending my breaks reading instead of napping. When I was asked why I chose to do these things, I replied, “Because it’s what makes me happy. I do things that make me happy, no matter what other people think.” I think this is similar to what Whitman was implying throughout Leaves of Grass. Do what makes you feel alive. Be happy. Be confident in yourself, even when the world is against you. In Whitman’s words, “Do anything, but let it produce joy.”

It is obvious that Whitman and Leaves of Grass blazed a trail for a new brand of poetry. Before Whitman, we imagine the poets as the educated sages and bards, writing in a standard form for the upper class intellectuals. However, Whitman broke the mold by writing for the ‘everyman’ in a way that was new and unusual, but still understandable. This opened the door for anyone to try to write poetry. Whitman stressed that as long as a person had emotions, experiences, or opinions, they could become a poet. Although proper writing is learned from books, substantial writing that just nails you in the gut comes from the heart. Maybe Whitman did not mean to change the standard for poetry, but I cannot imagine what it would be like if he had not done so.

I believe that even though Whitman’s influence on the art of poetry was great, his message to the nation was much greater. However, the former is more evident than the latter. By this, I mean that while Whitman tried to inspire a nation and future generations to be lovers of freedom, it is something that is often taken for granted or ignored. He wanted his readers to fall in love with America. He wanted them to embrace the American spirit and the idea of individuality. Unfortunately, this is something that the reader often overlooks. If the American population had gotten a better grip on what Whitman had to say, maybe we could be more patriotic, more thankful for our freedom, more individualistic, and more proud of our nation.

I do not believe that just a few hundred words in an essay can do Whitman justice. I believe that what Whitman had to say is much more deserving of a brief summary. Whitman’s work is so unique and superior, that I believe that to give Whitman the credit he is due, I would have to write something that reached beyond what Whitman said and match my actions with Whitman’s words. Practically, he changed the face of American poetry and literature. He genuinely captured the ideal spirit of humanity and described what it takes to live a more fulfilling life. He provoked and continues to provoke discussion and change. I’m not saying the man is worthy of our utmost praise, but he certainly is worthy of more credit than we tend to give him. His writing might have been strange, but that does not mean it is wrong.