In both poems “Harlem” and “Awaking in New York” used language to convey its meaning. In “Harlem” Langston uses figurative language to help provide an image of different dreams. He uses a simile that shows how language is being used, to provide an image. For example, in line 6 it states, “ Does it stink like rotten meat? This means Langston is using figurative language in this quote, creating a simile. To show how “it” stinks like rotten meat. Readers may think that the author is using figurative language by using like or as in a sentence, sayin “does it smell or stink like rotten meat”. It could also be used as a joke for someone like you stink like rotten meat or does it stink like rotten meat, a question plus figurative language.
The author suggests how rotten meat is stinky and asks the reader if it does to. In lines 7 and 8 it states, “Or crust and sugar over– like a syrupy sweet?” This shows how Langston is using figurative language in this quote, also creating another simile. To show how he is saying how sugar and sugar is like a syrupy sweet. But also putting it in a question form but also using a simile. Readers may think that Langston is using figurative language because the quote has a “like” in it which means Langston is using a simile in this part of the poem. And using crust and sugar like a syrupy sweet is showing how sweet it is that it is as sweet as a syrupy sweet. The author suggest how crust and sugar can make a syrupy sweet. Therefore, in “Awaking in New York” by Maya Angelou also has figurative language. But a different form of figurative language, which is a metaphor. In line 8 it states, “ I, an alarm clock.” This shows how Angelou is using a metaphor in this quote by showing how “she is an alarm clock”, I think it means that she is saying how she acts like a human clock. Readers may think that Angelou is using figurative language because the quote has a metaphor, and is showing how “she is am alarm clock herself” showing how she describes herself as an alarm.
The comparing of a person to an inanimate object, a piece of technology shows that the narrator does not feel special in life, instead they feel mechanical. Maybe because she wakes up earlier then most people or maybe it means that she wakes everyone up or something like that. In lines 8 and 9 it states, “awake as a rumor of war.” This shows how Angelou is using figurative language again in this quote. She is describing how she wakes up as a rumor of war.Readers may think that Angelou is also using figurative language because the quote has a metaphor, and is showing how she wakes up as a rumor of war begins when she wakes up. Maybe this quote is showing how Angelou awakes as a rumor of war. This is how both poems and poets both use a form of figurative language in their poems. Langston uses a form of similes and Angelou uses a form of metaphors.
In both poems “Harlem” and “Awaking in New York” used imagery to convey its meaning. In “Harlem” Langston uses imagery to help provide an image of different dreams. He uses a quote that shows how imagery is being used, to provide an image. For example, in line 2 it states, “like a raisin in the sun?” This shows how Langston is using imagery by providing a image in the reader’s head on how a dried up raisin looks like in your head. Readers may think that dried up raisins are all wrinkly and they look disgusting and that is what angston is trying to use in this quote. He wants you to picture this dried up raisin that’s in the sun.
The author suggests that the readers can picture a dried raisin that’s in the sun. These lines show both figurative language and an image. This quote is telling readers that they have to imagine crust and sugar over–like a syrupy sweet. To tell readers to see how they are similar. Readers may think that crust and sugar are good but how they have to picture an image how crust and sugar is like a syrupy sweet. He wants you to picture it in your head and that’s what many poets do and many poems have. The author suggest that the readers can picture crust and sugar being like a syrupy sweet. Therefore, in “Awaking in New York” by Maya Angelou also has imagery in her poem. So that readers can also picture something in their heads too. In lines 1 and 2 it states, “Curtains forcing their will against the wind.” This means the reader can imagine curtains along the window, with wind blowing so strong that the curtain bust open.
Readers may think that curtains are light and the wind is strong, so the wind can definitely bust open those curtains. You can kind of compare those curtains to yourself because you are light and full of emotion, and the wind can act like your night mares blowing you down with all those bad thoughts and dreams. In lines 4 and 5 it states, “exchanging dreams with seraphim.” Seraphim means an angelic being, regarded in traditional Christian angelology as belonging to the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, associated with light, ardor, and purity, this is the plural noun. And exchanging dreams from it. Readers may think that While the children dream of seraphim, which are fairies like those described in the Old Testament, the narrator does not describe himself or herself with the same happy regard. Fairies are associated with children while an alarm and crashing curtains are the world of the narrator. This is how both poems and poets both use a form of imagery. Langston and Angelou both have the same sense of imagery in their poems.
In both poems “Harlem” and “Awaking in New York” used mood to convey its meaning. In “Harlem” Langston uses mood to help provide a meaning of different dreams. He uses a quote that shows how mood is being used, to provide a meaning. For example, in line 1 it states, “Does it dry up.” This means that raisins can dry up and lose moisture so you feel like everything is making you sad and that’s the mood. Readers may think what happens when things dry up? Well, they lose their moisture and their water. They become small and withered. This line makes us think of deserts and summers and heat. The author suggests to feel how being dried is and how it feels to be dried. It feels dried and dehydrated nothing is taking care about it. The quote has a sad mood put into this quote. In lines 9 and 10 it states, “Maybe it just sags like a heavy load.” This is the first use of a declarative statement, or non-question, in the poem. The tone shifts from questioning to flat, which reinforces the content of the sentence, also discussing something sagging or becoming heavy and unmovable.